Articles of the year 2009
Published: March 21st, 2009
While the entire nation rejoiced over the restoration of the CJ Iftikhar Chaudhry, we looked forward to a period of stability with the Stock Exchange jumping 300 points. The business community breathed a sigh of relief, and decided the time had come to benefit from the calm, and to recoup the losses that had mounted over the long march. The nation was held hostage by a small band of the inner circle of the president's advisers, who insisted till the last minute that the marchers were not enough to threaten the federation. This small group had encircled the president, convincing him that the Punjab government was just a matter of a few days. From the newspaper reports insiders claim that the president was unconvinced until Gilani showed the MI reports which showed that the IB reports had been grossly understated. Eventually the prime minister managed to convince President Zardari that the crisis had reached a critical mass. Only then was the order given for the restoration of the CJ. It is incredible that the 'Gang of Four' brought the country to within a hairsbreadth of a calamity which would have unleashed a civil war. As in 1971.
The rumours indicated that the Islamic militants were already poised in the Margalla Hills waiting to mingle with the crowds, to do their mischief. The catastrophe was averted, - but only just.
However it is not over yet. The 'gang of four' has sprung into action again to establish the PPP coalition in the Punjab, and the horse trading is on. The PPP has ignored the fact that the huge display of people's power was not just a massive vote for the CJ, but a display of the anti-PPP sentiment running through the country, with Nawaz the defacto victor. It seems the president is still isolated from reality, and the PPP is unable to get its message through to its co-chairman.
This is a repeat of the Musharraf presidency when the Chaudhrys played havoc with the politics of the country, till Musharraf was forced to resign.
This time President Zardari is again being misled by another small group, and leading the president on yet another mission impossible.
To us, the people, the assemblies are all functioning, and now with the return of the CJ to office, it is the people who feel safer from the long arm of the illegals, who under cover of 'officialdom' go about their nefarious activities, making the hard life of citizens harder still. The prayers of the families of the disappeared persons is a case in point, for these families the CJ was their only hope. He is back, and true to form, people will appear out of nowhere, such is the aura about the man. It is this respect that has been missing for two years, respect that was witnessed on Sunday by such a huge turnout.
Luckily for everyone concerned the march remained peaceful, once the police saw the numbers in Lahore. However President Zardari on whose shoulders rides the awesome responsibility of presiding over our unruly nation, must take some action against those who misguided the government. The adviser on security must be shown the door, for he has an impressive score of failures. The tragic assassination of Benazir, when he was the self-appointed incharge of her security. The Sri Lankan cricket team shootout in Lahore. The bringing of the ISI under the IB. The latest being the misleading of the president into the magnitude of the long march. These are just the highlights. Each one of these acts would deserve a sacking. Similarly the law minister having wrongly advised the people of Pakistan, that the restoration of the CJ would require very technical and complicated tinkering of the constitution where a two-thirds majority would be necessary, when, in reality a simple notification was all it took. Mr President he should explain these facts to you, and to the nation. You, and we, have been lied to by the principal law officer of the country.
The people have a hard time making ends meet, for living in a third world country is not easy, and to face these officers lying blatantly on television is particularly odious. You must ensure that any functionary of your government lying deliberately must be reprimanded severely and then sacked.
You owe a great and heavy duty to this country for choosing you to lead us. This duty must be faithfully carried out, and anyone misguiding you, deliberately or otherwise, is your enemy, and by virtue of your position-an enemy of the state.
Finally Mr Prime Minister, you are well aware that the 'guardian' angels are watching the attempts at thwarting the functioning of the new democracy. You for your part have acquitted yourself admirably, but your future entwined as it is with the party and the Parliament, may all just be driven off the board. The good news is that the reinstated CJ, watching the antics of the governor and his allies in the Punjab would be issuing notices on the blatant violations of the constitution and illegalities being committed under Governor's Rule which itself will come under scrutiny.