Now It Is Too Late
By Hafeez Sheikh
San Fernando Valley, CA
This is a historic moment. The attorneys, political parties, and civil society are waging an historic struggle. The government has utilized all their forces against this tidal wave of democratization. It is a question of now or never. If the forces of democracy win this battle, there will be true democracy in the country forever; but if the forces of totalitarian rule get the upper hand, all voices of dissent will be muffled for a long time. There will never be democracy in the country. Some people argue that the attorneys and the civil society are dreamers. They live in fools’ paradise. But history has shown us that first a dream or idea is born. Then people of vision struggle to make that idea a reality. Democracy in Pakistan is an idea whose time of realization has come. They believe that one day there will be true democracy in the country. That people will be empowered, and justice will be available for all. The situation is precarious, and the stakes are high. But I think dictatorship is going to die its own historical death. Musharaf is going to meet the fate of a typical dictator. He is completely isolated and cut off from reality. Instead of rectifying the situation, Musharaf has imposed Marshal Law in the country under the garb of emergency. Instead of conceding his own faults, he has blamed the Supreme Court for all his problems. The terrorist activities in the north, and the deliberations of the Supreme Court about his fate are two separate issues, and should be viewed as such. Musharaf seems like a typical tragic figure who fails to understand why this is happening to him. In his mind he thinks that he has done a lot for the county and people are ungracious. In his speech he said that he gave freedom to the media and now they are after him. He fails to understand that he is being caught up by the speed of change in the society. He is trying to stop the forces of change, which he incidentally played a catalyst role to unleash. He has muffled the media, sacked and imprisoned the judges of the Supreme Court. He has blamed these institutions for all his problems. First of all media is not responsible for the problems in the county. Media is a mirror. It is showing what is happening in the streets of the country. Many people think that media has played a positive role in educating the people on social and political issues. Press and media are considered the fourth organ of the state in civilized societies. Instead of admitting his own inability to change with the times, he is blaming others. The second target of his Marshal Law is the Supreme Court. He blamed the Court on two counts. First that Supreme Court was not making its decision about his eligibility for president quickly. Secondly, that the Supreme Court was being soft on missing persons, which the government agencies had abducted on suspicion of their involvement with terrorists. The Supreme Court was hearing the petition on the issue of his eligibility for the presidential election, and it was going to decide that on merit in a couple of days. People think that Musharaf knew that the Court’s decision was going to be against him, and he imposed Marshal Law to pre-empt that. The problem with all the dictators is that they think they are above the law, and everybody including the Supreme Court should follow their wishes. As long as the Court was compliant he was happy. But as soon as it started asserting its independence, Musharaf got off balance. The truth is that the Supreme Court has played a historic role in defying dictatorship. For decades the Court has been compliant and for decades the dictators have exceeded their mandates given to them by the Supreme Court. But now the Supreme Court has laid the foundation of a new and strong tradition of independence. Musharaf’s accusation that the Supreme Court has been soft on suspected terrorists is empty and bogus. Hundreds of people have been abducted from their homes and workplaces on suspicions of their links to terrorists by the secret agencies for investigation purposes. No charges have ever been brought up against these people. Even the families of these people are not being informed of their whereabouts. The question is: if these people are involved in terrorist activities, why the government did not charge them with their crimes and present them before the courts? On the one hand we claim that this is the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, that there is justice and rule of law in the country, that we are enlightened people, and on the other hand we arrest people and put them in jails without informing their families, without charging them with any crimes, without presenting them with any legal remedy. Is it justified? Is it allowed under any constitution or any law? The answer is no. Instead of complying with the observations of the Supreme Court and amending his methods, he has blamed it to win support from the West. The truth is that people have become aware that dictatorship is being imposed on them, and they will not take it any more. The question is: Did Musharaf have any option during this whole process? I think he had one good option. If he had the courage and confidence, he should have taken off his uniform. He should have gone to the people, presented his record, and charted out his vision for the future, and people could have elected him as president. He did not consider that option. Instead, he has tried to impose his view on the people. He has lost whatever credibility or leverage he had with the people. Now it is too late.
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