Go Musharraf Go! These slogans are being chanted at various forums which are not meant for slogan mongering. These slogans have been chanted in the National Assembly and also in the Provincial Assemblies of the Punjab and Sindh to say the least.
"Go Musharraf Go" as well as "Jiye Bhutto" and "Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Shaheed" have been raised on the floors of the National Assembly and the Punjab Assembly and even on the solemn occasion of administration of oath to new Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani by President Pervez Musharraf at the President's House in Islamabad. These victory chants relentlessly continued during the last couple of weeks as the process of government formation at the national and provincial levels commenced rather in a belated manner in the wake of February 18 general elections.
The coalition comprises of the PPP Parliamentarian, PML (N), ANP and JUI (F) and it is rather not comprehensible as to why only PML (N) Ministers, Parliamentarians wear black arm bands on all functions?
This way of registration of protest and show of annoyance is not proper, to say the least, in the prevailing circumstances.
All this calls for revisiting the events of October 12, 1999, when the Chief of Army Staff General Pervez Musharraf seized power ousting civilian, democratically elected Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
On the fateful afternoon of October 12, PTV ran a short telop that the Prime Minister has dismissed General Pervez Musharraf and appointed General Ziauddin Butt as the new Army Chief.
By the evening, the tables were turned and it was announced that the Army has seized the power and the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has been arrested in the Plane Conspiracy case.
This was Nawaz Sharif's second government which was ousted in an undemocratic manner through military takeover without any reason or rhyme. From end of 1988 onwards, PPP's government of Prime Minister Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto was dismissed twice and that of Mian Nawaz Sharif once by the civilian Presidents and military had taken over the power first time in ten years through Army Chief General Pervez Musharraf.
Cutting the tragic story short, the Supreme Court had validated army takeover and directed that the elections be held and power to be transferred to the elected representatives within stipulated period of three years.
Since the Army Chief wanted some political support and backing, a new faction of the Pakistan Muslim League was formed by Mian Muhammad Azhar under patronage of General Pervez Musharraf. It was nothing else but irony of fate that the Muslim League so formed of the "like minded people" was named as the PML (QA) after the Father of the Nation Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
In due course of time, Mian Azhar succumbed to pressure tactics and the Chaudhry Brothers from Gujrat surfaced on the political scene after general elections were held in October 2002.
The Parliament with PML (QA) led coalition in power in Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi never questioned as to why a public servant, i.e., Army Chief was being supported in all his extra constitutional measures and no voice was being raised against the military dictatorship once again under the cover of law of necessity. PML (QA) leadership even went to the extent out of loyalty to just one person, and brushing aside the allegiance to the State of Pakistan, and it was Punjab Chief Minister Ch Pervaiz Elahi who, as a matter of record, more than once announced that General Pervez Musaharraf will be elected as the Uniformed President not once but ten times even.
It was the Parliament and the Provincial Assemblies which forming the electoral college for the presidential election voted for General Pervez Musharraf to be the President for another term in the Army Chief uniform. The fact that General Pervez Musharraf donned off the Army Chief uniform in November last year did not help in improving the political situation as much damage had already been done.
Such strange things and extra constitutional steps only take place in a developing country like Pakistan where military culture, VVIP and VIP culture, bureaucracy culture, police culture, wadera and jagirdar culture have flourished over the years in unabated manner irrespective of what high cost people have and are still paying. There are so many sacred cows around that the teeming million people have been crushed under their burden and no respite is in sight despite all the tall claims every now and then. Might is right. Nothing else matters in our beloved, beleaguered country Pakistan. But, why it's so, after all?
Throughout his being in power, President General (retd) Pervez Musharraf has been pleading and promoting the slogan of Pakistan first and foremost and nothing else but the national interests are supreme.
And, it is in the larger national interests that President and former Army Chief General (retd) Pervez Musharraf should step down voluntarily. In case of impeachment, the Article 6 of the 1973 Constitution may have to be invoked. And, this will not be liked and appreciated by many around.
Pakistan was created for democracy, for the government of the people, for the people and by the people by the Quaid-I-Azam and certainly and surely not for military dictators all of whom have caused immense harm to the Motherland including dismemberment of Pakistan one way or the other.
And, Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani paid a visit to the provincial metropolis going through hectic schedule.
He was the chief guest at the function of the SAARC Chambers of Commerce and Industry at the Hotel Pearl Continental.
He flew by helicopter to Raiwind to have dinner at the Sharif Family Farm hosted in his honour by PML (N) leader and former Prime Minister Mian Nawaz Sharif. PML (N) President Mian Shahbaz Sharif, Provincial Party Chief Sardar Zulfiqar Ali Khan Khosa and his son Chief Minister Sardar Dost Muhammad Khosa were among those present.
More about the Prime Minister's visit to the provincial metropolis, his being received at the Allama Iqbal International Airport by Governor Lt General (retd) Khalid Maqbool, Chief Minister Sardar Dost Muhammad Khosa and PPP leaders and happenings on socio-cultural and allied fronts next week, please.
For the time being keep your fingers crossed like this poor scribe and keep praying that the ruling coalition survives and comes up to the high expectations of the masses at large after foiling all conspiracies and facing heavy odds.