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Wednesday, November 07, 2007

What Are We Fighting For? Or Do We Really Want the Rehman Maliks Back?

What Are We Fighting For? Or Do We Really Want the Rehman Maliks Back?

Let us ask ourselves this: What has been achieved in 109 hours since the imposition of Emergency in Pakistan?

Major TV channels have been taken off the air in Pakistan. Hundreds of lawyers have agitated. Hundreds of them have been arrested. And many have been released.

Every leader and Judge, whether in hiding, free or incarcerated is giving out statements on the situation which is duly reported by the media.

Now in addition to demands for Free and Fair Elections, Independent Judiciary, Shedding Uniform etc. some more demands have been added – Repeal Emergency, Restore 1973 Constitution, Release Detainees, Get Lost etc.

The average Pakistani is utterly oblivious and appears unconcerned. Yet the NYT, WP, TS, G&M Times, BBC, CNN, CBC are giving prominent coverage to the Emergency.

They have been aided by activists, lawyers and bloggers in Pakistan. My fellow bloggers in Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi – part of Alvi’s Blogger Pakistan aggregate and others like Pakistaniat have reported on the happenings there.

Which begs the question asked in the heading. What Are We Fighting For? Or Do We Really Want the Rehman Maliks Back?

The Maulana Diesels, Benazir -Zardaris, the Brothers-not-so Shareefs and other Rehman Maliks – is this what we are struggling for in the name of Restoration of 1973 Constitution, Free and Fair Elections, Independent Judiciary?

2 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Military and stability cannot go together. Military and justice cannot go arm in arm. Military and rights have nothing in common. Governance and politics is not the domain of military. No society should ever endorse any military rule be it under the garb of enlightenment or moderation. The so called stability it takes credit of is only a facade - a veil. It crumbles down sooner or later. We have seen it happening. And we must protest in whatever way that we could. If not by going to streets then by writing at least.

I am equally or perhaps more opposed to the likes of Nawaz and BB. I know that they are products of military. However, the solution in my eyes lie in elections only. Let there be a continuity in elections. In the forseeable future we only see crooks like Nawaz and BB but I can say it with certainty that once the process starts and is allowed to continue, it will evolve. This evolution may take time and we must allow that. But to halt the process and to abandon it means calling in the military which is the most disgraceful act. We are now living in a world which is very different. The post 9/11 world is not the same anymore. The era of 1990s is gone. I am very hopeful that if the democratic process is initiated and if direct military intervention is contained it would do good to the country in the long run. And that is something what we all must fight for. If as a result of elections, people still vote for Nawaz or BB let them come and rule. How long will they misgovern and misrule? Dynamics are changing fast now, global environment is changing and realities are not the same.

We must therefore join the protest against brutalities and fascist policies of the military regime and advocate rule of law, restoration of constitution and democracy in the country.

November 08, 2007 12:57 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Another shocking news (and I hope it would be false) I am getting that US, on the sidelines is also trying to get Imran Khan in the picture as interim PM of Pakistan.

That means Imran too.....

Hell no.

November 08, 2007 1:33 PM  

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