Pakistan as nation conceived by great poet and philosopher Alama Iqbal and shaped by leaders of grand stature Mohammad Ali Jinnah and Liaqat Ali Khan even after stiff resistance from stalwarts like Maulana Abul Kalam Azad has faced many turbulent times during last six decades. Creation of Pakistan was at a bigger cost, paid both by Muslims and other communities in the sub-continent. It was a nation completely based on religious lines. Wether creation of Pakistan was a wise decision or politically wrong assessment only time will tell but one thing is clear Pakistan was never in safe and sensible political hands after its creation. Particularly Political system in Pakistan tattered after assassination of Liaqat Ali Khan and it became sectarian infested society plagued by tribal politics. Military interference played vital role in destabilizing the political institutions and degrading political values in this country.
Democracy in Pakistan at any point of time could hardly manage coming out of military shell and sectarian discord thus engaging people with only shorter spells of democracy full of strife and friction within the political system. Every time when democracy was striving to
survive, army generals always on prowl squeezed every bit of authority from the country’s governing system and managed their prolonged stay with ease and with out any accountability. Pakistan has failed but not as a nation but its systems both social and administrative could not change with changing times or could not keep pace with time. Jagirdari and Zamindari are there in every part of Pakistan fleecing poor and down trodden. Education and justified distribution of wealth is completely lacking in present day Pakistan; corruption is rampant in every institution of Pakistan. Dominance of powerful Zamindars and tribal leaders in every field particularly the political system has marginalized the common man who other wise should have been on the fore front of democratic evolution in Pakistan.
After creation of Pakistan no politician could put his mark on the political canvas of Pakistani politics. There were some big mouthed politicians like Bhuttos but their vindictive and corrupt political practice could do no good for democracy in Pakistan. Sharif brother entered with a bang but decimated with tags of corruption, nepotism and above all trade mark of Pakistan politics, vindictiveness. Late Zulifkar Ali Bhutto’s indictment in Nawab Kasuri case was watershed for criminalization of politics in Pakistan. Bhutto’s rise after partition of Pakistan (for which he was instrumental) made him arrogant and egoistic. He bothered least about the political freedom of his political rivals. Under the influence of overwhelming political mandate he failed to consolidate institution of democracy and thus Army under the leadership of hawkish Zia-ul-Haq bulldozed their way into Pakistan administration and ruined what ever was left of democracy and liberty within the systems of Pakistan. Zia encouraged every destabilising force to ensure his power and made a precedence to initiate processe of legitimizing army power through stooges, sycophants, and chums by trampling constitutional provisions. Zia’s administration was tight and in shape but lacked liberty and compassion. He inherited only quality from Bhutto and that was vindictiveness. Bhutto himself became the first victim of Zia’s vindictive approach and got hanged down the gallows.
Bhutto junior- Benazir Bhutto followed her father’s foot prints and made many mistakes but she undoubtedly contributed in consolidating democracy in Pakistan. Her corruption laden government later on paved way for Sharif brothers and thus started new political era in Pakistan where leg pulling became the buzz word and thus again Army was given the excuse to intervene and use politicians as their rides and poor people as fools. Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto never behaved like democratically elected political leaders but instead indulged in settling scores with each other and exploiting people only to derive more of power and wealth. Both these leaders let loose a reign of political terror and corruption. Nomenclatures like Mr.ten percent gave bad name to political system of Pakistan. Nawaz Sharif’s ego went so high during his regime that he left no institution in Pakistan where he did not want to go colonel Qadafi way destroying every inch of his predecessor. He stage managed attack on Supreme Court of Pakistan while being prime minister of that country, but he burnt his fingers while fiddling with General Musharaf giving credence to the fact that army is mightier than people’s power in Pakistan. At the moment Pakistani politicians are no more than a bunch of jokers who even after enjoying undisputed and absolute peoples power could not sustain and stabilise political system. Their infighting and leg pulling will make them easy prays of hawkish Pakistan army. It is an established fact when some one tastes power or blood he can not live with out it, so is the case with Pakistan army.
Political system in Pakistan was always influenced by certain external powers and forces and America is the biggest external influence which decides the political and administrative course of Pakistan. At occasions in the name of democracy either Bhutto or Sharif clan were encouraged to sit on the political throne of Pakistan or other day army is pushed from the back to hold power for the sake of integration of Pakistan. In real sense every time America pushes its own agenda of curbing forces challenging its authority and creates market for its condemned military hardware. America never allowed Pakistan as a nation to consolidate as it was created in the name of Islam and for the unification of Muslim world over. No one can deny this fact.
Recent developments in Pakistan after the tragic death of Benazir Bhutto has changed the political scene in Pakistan so quickly and people like Zardari are enjoying the political legacy and power of Bhutto clan. It is people’s power in the shape of sentiments after assassination of Benazir that man like Zardari with no clean image is at the helm of affairs in Pakistan, otherwise he should have been cooling his heels some where in the prison. At one point of time political establishment showed some maturity and united against General Musharaf but this cooperation sustained for few months only. If Zardari is a thug, Sharif is immature with loose tongue. Sharif is no match to manipulations of Zardari but he could not harvest his political mandate and public support. Sharif pursued his old vindictive politics and concentrated only on two demands, that of reinstating justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chowdery former chief justice of Pakistan and ouster of Musharaf. Both his demands were politically motivated and very small against the agenda of strengthening democracy and solving people’s genuine demands. Musharaf was no threat to Sharif in near future as Sharif was not holding the chair of prime minister instead ousted Musharaf became a bigger threat for the whole political system. Secondly a judge who could not judge the situation to his benefit and lost his job can do no good to any of the political identities in Pakistan, instead to be blunt enough he was a spent force and no way a horse to bet on.
It seems now politicians in Pakistan had miserably failed and army is about to show them their right place and take the reins of power under its heavy booths. This bunch of political jokers will have to answer people of Pakistan who not only brought them out of prisons and wilderness but showered them with power. Unfortunately they could not hold it due to their ego and urge for more power and wealth. The only fellow who will be enjoying these moments is Musharaf as he predicted such situation at the time of his resignation as president of Pakistan last year.
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