The Islamic Republic of Pakistan was established in August,1947 when its majority Muslim population separated from British-controlled India and became a sovereign state. Since then, the country has been plagued by wars, political instability, and a series of military coups as it continues stumbling unsuccessfully toward democracy.
Nominally, Pakistan is a federal democratic republic (declared in 1956) under a semi-presidential system and bicameral legislature consisting of a 100 member Senate and larger lower house National Assembly. The President is considered head of state and armed forces commander and chief (in a civilian capacity) and is elected by the Electoral College of Pakistan comprised of both houses of Parliament and the Provincial Assemblies. The Prime Minister is Pakistan's head of government, is elected by the National Assembly, and is usually the largest party's leader.
This is how government is supposed to work in Pakistan, but things are never that simple there. In its entire 60 year history, democracy has been a sham under various elected and military regimes. Musharraf is just the latest military one after he ousted elected Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in an October, 1999 coup. At the time, few people were surprised as tensions between elements of Pakistan's ruling classes had been building for months. Sharif had grown increasingly unpopular and had Musharraf not deposed him other opposition forces might have done it.
Elected as a champion of democracy, Sharif soon disappointed as did his predecessor, Benazir Bhutto, who's now trying to reinvent herself as a democrat. Massive corruption accompanied his repressive right-wing rule that made his tenure widely unpopular. He sacked thousands of workers, cut food subsidies, let utility costs skyrocket, banned state union sectors and restricted workers' rights to demonstrate and strike. At the same time, he and his cronies siphoned off millions of state funds, amassed enormous wealth, and hid it in offshore accounts. Under his rule, state institutions were collapsing, and workers and the poor suffered most. They wanted change, and the army obliged but not the way most people wanted.
Since taking power in 1999 and appointing himself President in June, 2001, Musharraf engaged in a precarious balancing act and ruled repressively. He tried to secure Pakistan's traditional geopolitical and strategic South and Central Asian interests. In addition, he supported the domestic Islamic fundamentalist right against traditional political elites and popular opposition from below. He also aimed to please Washington post-9/11 under threat of being declared a hostile power if he didn't and was summarily told by Deputy Secretary of State Armitage his punishment would be "to be bombed back to the stone age." To avoid that, he stopped supporting the Taliban and provided the Bush administration vital logistical help in its attack and occupation of Afghanistan.
His reward was not being bombed and over $10 billion in military and other aid ever since through a virtual unaccountable blank check and blind eye to human rights abuses under his regime. Since he came to power, Musharraf tried to silence all political dissent and did it through disappearances, arbitrary detentions, extrajudicial killings and torture on the pretext of fighting "terrorism." And as a "war on terror" ally, he launched military assaults against tribal and Taliban forces in Waziristan and Baluchistan, but that caused internal resentment to build against his increasingly unpopular rule. He also angered elements in the military that resent his lust for power and reckless behavior to hold on to it, and that ultimately may be his undoing.
Things came to a boil when Musharraf suspended the nation's Chief Justice, Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, last March. He accused him of "misconduct and misuse of authority" as cover to remove a key official he thought might block his plan for another five year term as President along with remaining chief of army staff (COAS) that's constitutionally illegal. He named an interim head justice, effectively placed Chaudhry under house arrest, and ordered the judicial council to investigate corruption charges.
The response to the move was outrage across the board from opposition parties, lawyers' organizations and human rights groups. They called the action unconstitutional and rallied in street protests against it. At the same time, Musharraf faces other crises that led to his recent actions. The Bush administration wants more from him against the Taliban as well as assurances he'll be a reliable ally if the US attacks Iran. In addition, Baluchistan's insurgency has continued for the past two years, and the army has lost hundreds of troops confronting it. That's caused mounting defections in its ranks, and public anger over it as well.
There are also economic issues because Musharraf adopted Washington Consensus policies that allowed poverty and discontent to grow hugely under his rule. People needs are ignored, social inequity has increased, food prices have spiraled, unions are cracked down on, and over half of government spending is for the military and debt service. In addition, corruption is rampant, the military practices crony capitalism, and Musharraf gets millions from it according to Pakistani analyst, Ayesha Siddiqa, in her recently published book - Military, Inc.: Inside Pakistan's Military Economy." On top of that, democracy in the country is a joke and always has been.
Nonetheless, Musharraf wants to retain power until 2012 and staged a bogus October 6 election to do it. It violated the law and was stage-managed by the military in a process neither free nor fair because the general's allies dominate the Parliament from having rigged elections five years ago. As expected, Musharraf won easily getting all but five parliamentary votes (252 out of 257) cast and swept the Provincial Assembly balloting as well. Opposition MPs abstained or boycotted the proceeding calling it unconstitutional, and the Supreme Court said no winner could be declared until it rules if Musharraf could run in his joint COAS capacity.
Pakistan has seen increased political upheaval for months. Musharraf wants to keep power by confronting it and intends to stay allied with the Bush administration in the process. At the time though, he said he'd step down as army chief once the Supreme Court certified his election, but the fact remains he has no intention to do it.
Pakistan Post-November 3
That's how things stood before November 3 when the general staged his second coup by declaring a state of emergency and suspending constitutional rule. But that's nothing new in Pakistan's history. The country's first Constitution was adopted in 1956 but was short-lived. It was abrogated in 1958 when martial law was imposed. A new Constitution emerged in 1962 and then annulled in 1969, again under martial law. A third and current Constitution came in 1973. It was suspended in 1977, restored in 1985 with major changes, suspended again in 1999, and restored in 2002 with more changes until Musharraf acted on November 3.
Few in the country with long memories were surprised, and one analyst said it's "back to the past again (in Pakistan." Another put it this way: "Pakistan's constitutional development illustrate(s)....that a constitutional morality (in the country) has not developed. The document is unable to discipline the political elite, especially the bureaucratic and military elite." Put another way, these comments illustrate that the country is not yet ready for prime time.
Washburn University law professor Ali Kahn explained on CounterPunch that article 232 of Pakistan's 1973 constitution "allows the President (as a civilian) to issue a Proclamation of Emergency under grave circumstances." Kahn also said the Constitution doesn't allow a "wholesale termination of services of Supreme Court judges," thus rendering Musharraf's action an "extra-constitutional coup." But it's not the first time he did it. After seizing power in 1999, he ordered all judges to swear a new oath of allegiance to him as military ruler. Thirteen of them on the Supreme Court refused, were sacked, and then replaced by more complaint ones in a blatantly unconstitutional act Musharraf got away with at the time.
I am a 72 year old, retired, progressive small businessman concerned about all the major national and world issues, committed to speak out and write about them.
with Mr.Lendman but I think that Musharraf wants to save himself from the US. It became more and more obvious that he could be 'replaced' or killed by our efforts. He thus wants to retain himself. Whether we like it here or not ( progressives, I mean) Musharraf is a part of his country and at least does not disconnect from it. I am not saying he is terrific; I just say that the US had proven a treacherous friend to anyone and he understands that.
by
Mark Sashine (50 articles, 19 quicklinks, 242 diaries, 3437 comments)
on Thursday, November 8, 2007 at 8:37:31 AM
The question is, what are the options in Pakistan. As you point out, the only two democratically elected prime ministers in the last many years have been corrupt beyond our imagination. I lived and worked in Pakistan for seven years. I was there during the first gulf war, when the Pakistani lawyers association came out in the newspapers against U.S. involvement. Over 35,000 Pakistanis volunteered to go to Iraq to fight the Americans, but were stopped at the border by Iran. Pakistan is a multi-ethnic country, artificially put together by the British. A large percentage of those living along the border with Afghanistan speak the same language as their cousins in Afghanistan, which also is a multi-ethnic country. It is understandable why they would support the Taliban. Also, this area has always been ungovernable. They are fiercely independent. Reportedly, Taliban support has spread throughout a good part of Pakistan, however, not just along the border. How do you bring something like this under control? We have never experienced anything like it, and should not be too critical of Musharraf. Perhaps he is doing what he thinks is best for the country, and it might be. Benazir Bhutto, our apparent choice, certainly has not shown the ability to deal with such problems. She allowed her husband, Asif Zardari, Mr. Ten Percent, to rape the country while she was in power.
Al Wight
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Albert Wight (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 36 comments)
on Thursday, November 8, 2007 at 10:53:22 PM
AVAAZ.ORG now has almost 70,000 signatures on their petition demanding that Musharraf, end the Emergency Decree. Please sign the petition and tell others about it:
From AVAAZ.ORG: Pakistan is on the brink. Unpopular president General Musharraf has imposed martial law, sacked the Supreme Court and shut down the media and basic freedoms. Now he is abusing the threat of terrorism to throw thousands of democrats in prison.
Elections planned for January 2008 should not be postponed long, but must be free and fair -- with opposition leaders freed, the constitution restored and the election independently overseen. The General depends on foreign military aid and international recognition. As world leaders decide whether to let Pakistan slide, our global outcry could make all the difference - add your name and spread the word today!
We, the undersigned, call on all nations to condemn the Musharraf crackdown, and to suspend military aid to Pakistan until the constitution is restored and free, fair elections are ensured.
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