Goodbye Musharraf, Hello Chaos
By Dr. Ghulam M. Haniff
St. Cloud, Minnesota

Judging by the events in Pakistan it seems that in a matter of months President Parvez Musharraf is going to be ousted from power. Threatening storm clouds have been gathering in a sign that portends his impending eviction from the helm of the government. Since his dismissal of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court opposition to his rule has markedly escalated. As the deadline for elections approaches agitation gains momentum but he is not a man to be easily underestimated.
If his departure does take place, the country will be plunged into chaos with rising levels of conflict. Ominous signs of that prospect are already visible as anti-government forces clash with supporters of Musharraf. The first blood of this escalating strife has already been spilled in the streets of Karachi.
Unfortunately, the dismissed Chief Justice, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, has himself become a political actor in this absurd drama. As a prominent jurist it would have been prudent for him to stay on the sidelines away from civil disorder. But it seems that he has found an opportunity in the expanding anarchy to elevate himself in the leadership hierarchy.
The Pakistani media is rife with speculation that one of the two exiled former prime ministers may be chosen to lead the nation. For several months newspapers have headlined that the return of Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif is imminent. Almost every recent issue of The Pakistan Link has carried pictures and reports on their claim of “coming back soon.”
The two elected and failed prime ministers continue to command considerable support among their party activists. However, many people remember the anarchy that prevailed, the plunder of the state treasury and the virtual economic collapse that gripped the nation. The level of corruption during their leadership was so high that Transparency International named Pakistan as the most corrupt nation in the world. Many millions of dollars siphoned-off still has not been accounted for to this point.
At the founding of the country Mohammed Ali Jinnah emphasized that the first task of the nation was the restoration of “law and order.” Sixty years later that goal still has not been achieved, nor has the “rule of law” become pre-eminent in the nation. If the country’s legal and judicial institutions were strong there would be no need for someone like Musharraf to take over power. It is precisely the absence of legal norms that made coup d’etat possible. In the checkered history of Pakistan no leader has been as successful as Musharraf in pulling together unruly elements to chart a forward course for the nation. In the interest of creating an effective political order he pushed through number of reforms that has broadened the participation of the people in the political process.
Unexpectedly thrust into the turbulent political culture of Pakistan Pervez Musharraf as the Chief Executive and President quickly developed survival skills and turned into a shrewd politician. He has been the most successful of all the military men who seized power and has truly turned the nation around for achievements in every field of human endeavor.
The agitation for his ouster has been orchestrated by a motley collection of opportunists seeking to get-in and put their fingers in the till. For the first time lined up among the ranks of the agitators are a number of lawyers who undoubtedly have political ambitions. The dismissal of the highest judicial officer of the land probably provided the justification for their activism.
Also arrayed against Pervez Musharraf in a tight coalition are several religious parties and organizations. These have been displeased ever since Musharraf turned against the Taliban and became a proponent of women’s rights and their inclusion in the political process. The religious elements have remained vocal rallying around Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA), the opposition coalition in the National Assembly.
Apparently the “politics of oppositionalism” appeals to a large number of religious activists who regularly participate in demonstrations, protest marches, “wheel-jams” and other forms of disorderly conduct organized under the leadership of MMA. The resulting chaos is blamed on the government in the hope that the targeted leader will resign.
If Musharraf is forced out it will take several years for the Pakistan to achieve stability. Musharraf has performed brilliantly in his high-wire balancing act. He is under enormous pressures from disparate elements internally and from international actors externally. He has kept America at an arms length though Washington is constantly breathing down his neck. The deals that he has made are all in the long-term interest of Pakistan.
At the moment Pakistan needs good governance with policies that will lead to the broadening of the political power base. The creation of the union councils, the quotas for women in elective bodies, privatization and deregulation in the economic sector, and the emphasis on education are all designed to hasten the process of democratization and industrialization.
No doubt Musharraf has made some mistakes. But those are dwarfed in comparison with the blunders of his predecessors. When he took over power people danced in the streets at the deliverance. In the eight years since then he has done a lot, more than any other previous leader of the country. Many more jobs have been created and opportunities opened up. The economic growth for the last four years alone has averaged around seven percent per annum, the third highest in Asia.
It is ironic that even as a military man Pervez Musharraf has pushed through reforms to transform the nation into a modern democratic state. The country enjoys freedom of the press much more than ever before. It is beginning to attract foreign investment, and exports have almost doubled during the past five years. Under the present leadership the country definitely has turned the corner.
Good governance is what Pakistan needs. No one has provided that type of leadership since the demise of the founder of the republic. Musharraf’s ouster would be a tragedy for Pakistan that needs providential guidance and visionary outlook for the future.


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Editor: Akhtar M. Faruqui
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