Red Zone Episode Not Over Yet

Inqillab and Azadi Marches of 14th August changed into a prolonged “sit in.” Twenty days and nights in the red zone despite humidity, heat, and heavy rain is tough. Till Wednesday, September 03, 2014, there was no major breakthrough except some efforts were under way by the interested stakeholders for renewing talks for calming down the tense scenario, The leadership of Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) are in good friendly relationship; this unnerves the staus quo parties including the rulers and the friendly opposition.

Today, the PTI chairman sent the Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi to clarify the PTI’s position before national assembly session; where he skilfully clarified the purpose of the ongoing sit-in outside the Parliament. “We are not here to burn the House but to save it,” he declared. “It is our duty to protect the Parliament but what kind of parliament?” He added, “There is a perception that there is a grand plan or a great script behind our protest, but PTI never was and never will be part of any great plan that will undermine the democracy and the Constitution of Pakistan.”

To request the army to resolve political crisis was against the spirit of the Charter of Democracy,” he said while referring to the government’s request to the COAS General Raheel Sharif. He also criticized government’s handling of the crisis, adding that Islamabad was turned into Gaza as scores of people were killed and injured. He said that his party was ready to negotiate with the committee of opposition members, and only demanded transparent investigation of rigging in the last general election. (dawn.com)

The most troubling: Democracy is a mechanism by which popular consent is obtained for policies favoring the rich.

The question: If there are two or three political parties, and none of them carry integrity, yet one of them is voted to the office – so what’s good for the general public? Quite obviously, there is a limited choice for the electors to choose, hence, it’s a tricky game played skillfully by the crooks.

In the name of democracy, the greedy politicians always manage to grab power for satisfying their selfish agendas. During the course of hot pursuit of gaining political power, pressure tactics and coercion is quite normal. The financially powerful elite tend to win through rigging. Winning national, mid-term or supplementary election is not a problem for the crooks, because they can buy votes at any price; the election staff is easily bought off to change the electoral defeat in to electoral victory all due to loop holes in the stinky system.

The statement, democracy is of the people, by the people, for the people is inherently incomplete unless the people are allowed to have proper schooling whereby they become mentally powerful enough to politically judge between honest and crook candidates.

Good thing is despite the vadairas’ dirty politics, the people all over including the remote areas are now slowly catching up and hopefully the genuine leadership will grow.

In Islamabad, the invoked Article 245 directs the army to protect the capital, but the army only is protecting inside the state buildings in the red zone. It is significant however, that the joint session has followed a army corps commanders meeting which had asked for things to be resolved quickly and through political means without the use of force. Sharif’s decision to call in the army in aid of the civilian authorities on the eve of the march has empowered the army more. On top of that, poor Sharif seems to have lost further credibility by misinforming the national assembly that the army chief was not asked to mediate. A statement by the ISPR contradicting the prime minister’s claim put Sharif into an embarrassing position.

Indeed, the army is busy with its operation Zarb-e-Azb, yet the ‘sit in’ situation is fast slipping out of the government’s grip, because of its own fault of using Gullu Butts and ‘PTV takeover’ drama and disrupting the peaceful ‘PAT march’ towards the prime minister house. Excessive force including chemical gas and real bullets injuring and killing the marchers is inhumane.

The army is interested in an expeditious resolve of the crisis by the government without using force.

Nevertheless, the rulers are already on crutches provided by the desperate opposition leadership who in return are promised their turn after the current tenure is over. Taking turns is the only wish of the greedy politicians. Non delivery, sub standard governance and administrative paralysis don’t bother them; they rallied in NA to save the democratic system, yet the battle is far from over.

For protecting their personal interests, the political elite ask for democracy. After the Musharraf Era, Zardari was only focused on completing his tenure which he successfully did by bringing all players including the friendly opposition under one umbrella; the zaradri regime continued right till the end despite its poor governance and its judicial defiance.

As it’s the turn of N league to govern, the problem is N league has been alleged for election fraud.

The people suffer from increasing deprivation, hunger, discomfort and mega corruption all over. Many of us in Pakistan genuinely believe that the present government has failed to perform. Though invoking article 245 shows the failure of civil administration, the Pak Military has no intention to intervene into political affairs. It’s up to the apex court to remove the sitting prime minister so that he can be independently investigated on murder charges and rigging charges.

Auditing the election should be made mandatory for a more mature democracy. The electoral fraud can be minimized if the inherent defects are removed from the current system or it’s totally replaced by a brand new system of governance as Mr. Qadri suggests.

Pakistan needs newer generation of leaders who are chosen by the educated Pakistanis. A renewed democracy includes the ouster of obsolete political practice. After all Pakistan deserves respect and satisfaction.