US' blue-eyed Musharraf reaching the dead end

ISLAMABAD, March 29: The three-day Pakistan visit of two top US’ State Department officials that concluded on March 28 had spread numerous speculations in the political, diplomatic and journalistic circles. Deputy Secretary of State John NegroponteJohn Negroponte and his assistant Richard Bouchard’s hasty and secret arrival in Islamabad and their somewhat clandestine but demanding itinerary, however, stood for the importance the world’s sole Super Power attaches to the political and security situation in this nuclear-armed nation of nearly 170 million people. Among some of the most widespread speculations about the high-level visit of US officials, the buzz of the city is that the duo was here to drum up support for their erstwhile ally Pervez MusharrafPervez Musharraf, who ruled the country for nearly eight years and took many ‘controversial’ and one ‘sided decisions’, notwithstanding their out-and-out rejection by the vast majority of Pakistanis. To begin with, some of Musharraf’s notorious decisions included his pushing the country for becoming a ‘frontline’ state in the US global war against terror; the controversial referendum to justify himself as president of Pakistan alongside chief of the army staff followed by his tailored legislative elections in 2002; breaking his promise made with the religious parties to doff his uniform if they helped him pass the 17th amendment to the constitution of Pakistan; the sacking of chief justice of Pakistan on March 9 and the imposition of November 3 emergency rule in the country. While the sacking of top judge Iftikhar Chaudhry provided a sturdy base for a mass movement with the lawyer community as the torchbearers against Musharraf, the November 3 (mis) deed proved the last nail in the coffin of the dictator as the step drew widespread condemnation both nationally and internationally. The Nov. 3 action in 2007 brought Pervez Musharraf on the same juncture where he was standing some eight years back after toppling the elected government of Mian Nawaz SharifNawaz Sharif on October 12, 1999 and declaring himself as chief executive of Pakistan. At that time (in 1999), the world community condemned the action; the Commonwealth suspended Pakista’s membership while the then US president Bill ClintonBill Clinton refused handshake with Pervez Musharraf in front of cameras. Thanks to the regime change in the US and the war on terror in Afghanistan that Pervez Musharraf became the blue eyed of the United States after the former, one way or another, assured the world’s sole Super Power that he (Musharraf) was indispensable, otherwise, the Taliban and al-Qaeda would spread to the United States and Europe and would strike similar attacks like the one on the World Trade Centre. Eight years onward, however, the Pakistani dictator has once again dropped from the peak to the 1999 position. Weak and frail and surrounded by those true and elected representatives of the 170 million Pakistanis, who were pushed to the wall by the dictator and his handpicked group of egocentric men gathered under the umbrella of Pakistan Muslim League Quaid (PML-Q), Musharraf is on the mercy of those whom he dubbed as corrupt and inefficient. In 1999, the then general used to refer to Nawaz Sharif and Benazir BhuttoBenazir Bhutto (now late) and her husband Asif Ali ZardariAsif Ali Zardari as ‘looters and plunderers’ of the national wealth and boasted he (Musharraf) would not allow them back in the country. Eight years on and the man, who is without his uniform now, says he is ready to cooperate with the elected representatives, who are led by the same people whom he used to call as ‘looters and plunderers’. As the Pakistan’s elected Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani was taking oath of his office on March 24, none of the top leaders, even Musharraf’s friends of good days, were seen during the ceremony. This was the single big ‘No’ to the man who is desperately trying to keep himself in power despite a big no to his policies by the Pakistanis on Feb. 18. What other big insult the president will need to force him out of the presidency than the one that the elected premier Gillani ordered the release of all judges and lawyers who were kept under house arrest by him (Pervez Musharraf) after the imposition of Nov. 3 emergency. Now that all the winning political parties have communicated, one way or another, to Pervez Musharraf to step down, the hasty visit of two top US officials and their meetings with heads of the leading political parties at this juncture is being seen as to request or force them (leader) to accept the United States’ “yes man” as president of Pakistan. Rumours and speculations are that the Pakistani parliament would soon re-instate the nearly 60 judges who refused to take oath under the Musharraf-tailored provisional constitutional order (PCO) and hence were sacked by the dictator. If came true, this would prove another big blow to the beleaguered man who is now passing through the hardest times of his being in power since late 1999. Speculations are also that the Pakistani president is discussing a safe passage to leave the country. However, there is no confirmation of the rumours from sources in the presidential camp. As I’m writing these lines, I receive an anecdote via SMS from a journalist friend and I wish to share that with my readers and friends: A friend of Pervez Musharraf asked him what he would do if he finds himself standing on the closed end of an alley while a lion on the other side. “Better ask the lion because it is he to decide,” replied the president. ENDS