Musharaff Finds a Way Out

After batting sensibly for 45 overs, the govt party has played some rash strokes in the final 5 overs of its inning. Musharraf has inadvertantly unleashed Pakistan`s first middle class movement in 40 years by sacking the CJ. If this genie is not put back into the bottle, it will destroy not just Musharraf, but Benazir, Nawaz, Altaf and Mullahs as well.

Will reinstating the CJ stop this mass movement? That`s the million dollar question.

Mushy isn`t going anywhere...The big dog needs a pliant dictator who`ll just STFU when the big dog hunts the jihadis..that and turning over pakis of the jihadi persuasion to club gitmo...

Missiles kill 32 militants in Pakistan tribal region

MIRANSHAH, Pakistan (Reuters) - A missile attack, possibly launched by U.S. forces in Afghanistan, killed at least 32 pro-Taliban militants in a Pakistani tribal region near the border on Tuesday, Pakistani officials said.

The missiles targeted a suspected training base in a village near the mountainous Datta Khel district, 60 km (40 miles) west of Miranshah, the main town in North Waziristan, the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to brief the media, told Reuters.

Intelligence officials said some foreigners were among those killed, raising the possibility that al Qaeda fighters might have also been present. North Waziristan is a known refuge for remnants of Osama bin Laden`s network.

``There was a cluster of three houses and a tent which were hit. There were about 45 people in that area,`` a senior government official told Reuters.

Army spokesman Major-General Waheed Arshad said there had been an explosion in the area, but he denied it was caused by missiles and added that the army had not carried out any operations there either.

``It wasn`t a missile attack,`` Arshad said, adding that initial reports suggested the explosion occurred while the militants were making a bomb.

Such explanations have been offered in the past when U.S. forces in Afghanistan have launched strikes on targets in Pakistani territory.

The government is sensitive to any report of foreign forces carrying out operations in Pakistani territory or airspace.

According to intelligence officials and residents, however, a U.S. pilotless drone aircraft carried out the attack at around 10:30 a.m. (0530 GMT).

It was not known whether any leading Taliban or al Qaeda figures were targeted in the attack.

Re: # 2

The Muslim blood is the cheapest commodity in the world and its letting is continuing brazenly.They are massacred in hundreds every day, without creating even a slight tremor in the consciousness of the global community. I always say that its the nature of victim that determines the issue of moralities. causing westren deaths is always immoral and unpardonable ; exterminating muslims carries no such stigma.

#3 by philosopher on June 19, 2007 4:32pm PT

blah blah blah...enough of the victimhood already...it`s funny how muslims can fly planes into buildings, blow up subways and trains, behead monks in thailand and STILL claim to be victims....

#1 ``If this genie is not put back into the bottle, it will destroy not just Musharraf, but Benazir, Nawaz, Altaf and Mullahs as well. ``

and what`s wrong with that?

Musharaff Finds a Way Out....LOL

Musharaf and MQM Mafia got ack their bags and leave for good......

These two are scum bags who need to be eradicated.....

Musharaff Finds a Way Out....LOL

Musharaf and MQM Mafia got to pack their bags and leave for good......

These two are scum bags who need to be eradicated.....
Musharaf and MQM are killers of 42 innocent Pakistani Karachiits...Let`s not forget that....

Saeed Minhas, you have forgotten something........Mush is like a dog on a leash......the other end is held by Bushy the Brave........any of this blah...blah will have to have the consent of Bush the Brave...........

As reported in Dawn, Richard Boucher has also been tasked with vettting the voters list of Pakistan.........

In such a scenario, your article is more wishful thinking instead of ground reality.............

Re: # 1

The real tragedy is that it is all deemed to be about Musharaf, CJ, BB. NS, IK, AH and
the maulanas, maulanas and more maulanas Inc., etc. An acceptable outcome of this multi-player game, those whose names adorn the scroll of the elect above, is sought. If it is found then, presto, Musharraf will be out of the hole, the dark days will be behind us, and the sun will start shining once more in the land of the pure.

Sadly, this might also satisfy most of us griping in this forum.

Pakistan and its people, of course, are not a stakeholder in this life-and-death game. This is not to suggest that there is no role for them. They, after all, are the ones who will be left holding the bag.

Re: # 1

The real tragedy is that it is all deemed to be about Musharaf, CJ, BB. NS, IK, AH and
the maulanas, maulanas and more maulanas Inc., etc. An acceptable outcome of this multi-player game, those whose names adorn the scroll of the elect above, is sought. If it is found then, presto, Musharraf will be out of the hole, the dark days will be behind us, and the sun will start shining once more in the land of the pure.

Sadly, this might also satisfy most of us griping in this forum.

Pakistan and its people, of course, are not a stakeholder in this life-and-death game. This is not to suggest that there is no role for them. They, after all, are the ones who will be left holding the bag.

Re: # 10

``Pakistan and its people, of course, are not a stakeholder in this life-and-death game. This is not to suggest that there is no role for them. They, after all, are the ones who will be left holding the bag.``

Rightly said and that is the asli tragedy........

Musharraf`s PML (Q) Government was formed by a single-seat parliamentary majority, otherwise Maulana Fazlur-Rehman would have been the PM. Since then, a lot of water has pased under the bridge and MMA is no longer Musharraf`s (or PML Q`s) ally. This alliance was planned to have been replaced with the `enlightened` and `secular` group of PPP, ANP and MQM in the next elections, which would have worked but the entire proposed plan was shattered on 12 May due to Musharraf`s own stupidity resulting in two of the `enlightened` proposed allies up in arms against the third.

Besides, the agenda of enlightened moderation is flat on its face after Lal Masjid and loss of large parts of the country to local Taliban.

Now, the best option for Musharraf as well as USA is to talk to the centrist Nawaz Sharif`s party who has enough credibility to bring about a national consensus (and has displayed this ability twice in getting the NFC award as well as the Water Accord agreed and approved) to avoid perpetually unstable governments and anarchy.

....I have always said that the life of any political entity in power, in Pakistan, is three years....After that they start becoming unpopular.......Musharraf should have left after three years......He would have gone down as a hero, in Pakistan.......Unfortunately, he held his referendum and kept going, thereby by passing the three year benchmark

.........He was able to keep some popularity, due to the economic progress in Pakistan......This is a genuine change, and an almost revolution from the days of 90s.......In addition, he was able to get on the right side of the USA........The Pakistani english speaking intellegensia and the expats - nearly all of whom are generally anti-maulvi - liked him also.......The media liked him for the unprecedented press freedom......The powerful Muhajir community liked him, because he was a Muhajir himself, who gave them a lot of clout.......He even befriended the maulvis by giving them a province and a half........

The only groups that did not like him were the two major political parties of Pakistan......PPP and PML (N).......However, they were so discredited that they could not get people power.......

.......The current crisis is more a crisis of incumbency than anything else..........Pakistanis will not even tolerate Jinnah for more than five years, what to talk of Musharraf.........Incumbency is a killer in Pakistan.........It takes ten years for a person who is kicked out to gain some popularity again..........That happens when people decide that the person who replaced the original individual who was kicked out, is an idiot also.......

........The best course for Musharraf now would be to just leave........Hold elections and leave.........8 years at the head of a country is enough..........What more can a person want?.........After this, he will only be creating problems for Pakistan and for himself.........

........However, he will not leave.........Political power is the ultimate aphrodisiac.......That is whay NS and BB want a piece of the pie, again.........Musharraf will work out a deal with PPP..........He will forgive BB`s sins of massive corruption........In return, she will forgive his sins of massive constitution violation............The USA will be satisfied as they view both as liberals..........However, Pakistanis will be screwed.....Instead of being ruled by a constitution violator, they will, then, be ruled by two violators - a constitution violator and an economic violator........

...........The real test for the Pakistani population will not be getting rid of Musharraf........He is already a gone case.........The real test will be, what they will do to the invidual who aligns with him...........MQM has now become more unpopular than it has ever been, due to its strong alliance with the Army govt..........Will BB lose her credibility, if she aligns also?.......If she loses her credibility as well, if she aligns with Musharraf, then Pakistan is well on its way to democracy..........

........If she is able to carry out an alliance and become PM, then rest assured, there will be a martial law again, within a decade, as she will continue with her shenanigans, and Army will continue in power, alongside her, wating for the time when she loses her credibility with the people (due to her shenanigans) to take over again.............

The end game for the US is to replace Musharraf (Iran has a big role to play in this matter), regardless of the difference in tactics between the Warlords of the Pentagon and the State Department, one will relent to the other in pursuing their mutual end game. Tactics might vary but their end game is the same.

History in Pakistan has shown that direct transition from one military dictator to another is not attempted (what the Pentagon would like), therefore, the reluctance of the person clutching at straws to give up his uniform. Transition is always attempted indirectly through an intermediate so-called ``democracy`` period (what the State department would like).

The Americans have an occupation force in Pakistan, aka the Pakistan Army, the transition period therefore must involve the overlooking of whoever comes to power by this institution, mavericks that are independant are too risky. Musharraf cannot be that uniformed person who will have an alliance with the civilian transition team, since the US wants to replace him, therefore if Musharraf is to survive in power he has to give up his uniform. If he gives up the uniform he becomes powerless to dictate to the Army which will dictate all affairs. This is the catch-22 Musharraf faces and not the CJ issue which was manufactured by the US, using the Pakistan Army to place Musharraf in this very catch-22. Whether the CJ stays or goes is immaterial. How the transition will occur is what is interesting- not that it is going to matter- the Army is still going to be in charge, either way Musharraf`s fate is sealed.

The final solution for the poor b**t**d, declare emergency, stay in the uniform and in power while abandoning elections. This final solution wont last long either, since it leaves the only option open to the Americans being sending a hellfire homing towards his a$$ (the role of the CIA). I see no escape for Musharraf in any direction, reminds me of Saddam in the hole...

PPP and PTI are the two parties that have the best manifestos for Pakistan.......PPP from the liberal side, and PTI from the conservative side.......Unfortunately, PTI does not have people who powerful enough (or corrupt enough) to get elected..........PPP is the who`s who of powerful individuals (and corrupt ones), and thus has the largest vote base in Pakistan.......However, it is ruled by opportunistic feudals who will always destroy Pakistan.......

..........My choice of PMs - Aitezaz Ahsan or Yusuf Raza of PPP, with Imran Khan as President.............All three are very electable politicians who have a lot of credibility and are progressive and have paid their dues in politics.........Imran Khan cannot be Prime Minister, because he doesn`t have the votes, however his is the voice of the Pakistani concsious, and he is respected by politicians and by the people (as well as internationally), and can thus be a neutral person, as President.......Yusuf and Aitezaz are in the top tier of PPP, and have the political power to become PMs, via PPP..........

However, BB will never give up the PMship to anyone, even in her own party...........Being lifetime head of her party, she will ensure it is either her or no one from PPP..........

#14 by masadi on June 20, 2007 2:29am PT


it leaves the only option open to the Americans being sending a hellfire homing towards his a$$


hellfires don`t come cheap...why send a hellfire towards his ``a$$`` when you can send the IRS agent from hell to bilal`s in boston....