Musharraf and Pakistan: A Message for the Secretary General of the Commonwealth

This is a message meant for the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Don McKinnon. At this critical juncture, as Pakistani civil society is striving for the return of civil supremacy in Pakistan, we are expecting you to make the correct principled judgment on Musharraf (and not skirt about the issue as you were doing today at the Marriot in Isloo).

Secretary General, it is high time to focus on the issue of the 'incumbent' army in politics. It was October 1999 when the army yet again entered into politics by breaking in from the back door and trampling over the Constitution of Pakistan. From then till now, Musharraf violates the spirit of the Constitution every day by keeping his uniform, by not retiring at the age a government/ army employee must, by not addressing the Parliament. Let not the Commonwealth make Musharraf ‘an exception story'. Call a spade a spade. Tell it how it is.

As a civilian, I am very proud of what we have achieved intellectually and peacefully in the restoration of our Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. People power had prevailed on the 20th of July. Civil Society walked with its head held high on that historic date. Civil society galvanized like nothing before to fight to get the Chief Justice reinstated. This was happening in the midst of extra-judicial killings by the Junta; all the while Musharraf himself was personally leading a propaganda war against the chief justice.

Secretary General, Musharraf uses the "the perfect storm" concept for him to stay in power. For example, he used Lal Masjid as a trump card (after feeding it candy for over six months) to distract the present civil movement for democracy. He has told the West: "it is either me in my khaki uniform or the radical mullah". This man is Machiavellian beyond reproach. In reality Pakistan has an alternative in people power… but Musharraf is keeping the shutters closed on secular political parties by the barrel of the gun, incarcerations, self-serving ordinances, etc., etc. The West should have a rethink on supporting this usurper.

Mushrraf had the temerity to tell Bush in the lawns of Islamabad Presidency, March 2006, that he had given freedom to our journalists. Journalistic freedom (whatever we have) is there not because of Mushrraf but in spite of him. Geo TV was ransacked by Musharraf’s goons this summer and as recent as two days ago a journalist was kidnapped by the intelligence agencies. The journalist was actually asked to draw the graves of his parents by the intelligence agencies. Meanwhile, people are disappearing in the country, totally unprecedented. In certain areas of Pakistan Mushrraf has imposed a ’no go’ for Journalists. This is Musharraf’s Pakistan!!! This is not the Pakistan commensurate with the genius of our civil society. We are in the process of realigning the power solely towards the civil rule.

Civil society right now is focusing on real issues like breaking business cartels (presently in Musharraf’s government), slimming down the fat “corporate” army and making it accountable to Parliament, taking army out of civil institutions, separation of powers, etc. etc. etc. The Commonwealth support on these principled issues is sorely lacking at this critical juncture. Pakistani men and women are flooding out on the streets calling for ‘separation of institutions’. I expect the Commonwealth to now start giving adequate and intellectual coverage to this. Pakistan is going through a defining moment. This is our age of enlightenment in its true definition.

We will get there with or without the Commonwealth. If you are here just to give a stamp of approval to Musharraf, the hypocrisy that we are living in will be further reaffirmed. If you respect and honour the documented repository of our constitution and stand up against the Usurper/ Dictator in principle, the Commonwealth will regain lost respect.

Secretary General, it does not suit the Commonwealth to be expedient or a messenger boy of a country outside the Commonwealth. It is time for the Commonwealth to come of age.