The Good Monster: Musharraf's Cultural Legacy

Re: # 62
"You want to add Kashmir to that? What future will you offer them?".

Calm down Ranjit Sahib. I am not championing the cause of adding Kashmir to Pakistan. It is for the Kashmiris to decide what they want. Prsonally I can live with an independent Kashmir.

"Its hight time that you guys grasp the power equation in the subcontinent. India is far ahead now in all aspects of life - economic, political, social, military power, cultural, you name it".

Ah ... at least I am not going to grasp any "power equation" as long as I live. You are progressing in leaps and bounds. Good for you.

"You need to change your policies in that context if you want to remain competitive in any manner. That can happen by throwing out the last 60 years of rhetoric and focus on stronger economic ties so that you can also participate and benefit from India's economic growth. Politically you should focus on a EU like scenario with free movement of people and goods. At least that way you will have a chance to visit Kashmir and see its sights. Otherwise, you have no chance since India is perfectly happy in pulling ahead from Pakistan and letting the status quo go on forever".

Good or bad, the policies of Pak are for Pakistanis to discuss and change. We haven't asked for your advice on this one.

And I am certainly not dying to visit a Kashmir in bondage.

Majumdar Sahib,
"I was referring to Pak's occupation of FATA in violation of the agreement under which FATA acceded to Pak. Please consult Zee sahib for details".

I agree with Zee Sahib on this one. Pak forces need to get out of FATA.

"Besides UN's resolution also calls for Pak Army's withdrawl from POK, has Pak done that?".

Pak will have to do its part to let the plebiscite go through. What's the big deal?

"(there will, at best, be cold peace between the two countries.)

I will be more than happy with that".

Good. Then we are in agreement. That is all that I had said in the first place. Just forget about normalizing the relations.

Regards.

#82 Posted by Nikhat,

Excellent post. Thanks.

I just read the article and my response to it.
Ref: “A military dictator’s cultural impositions actually gave birth to a newborn sense of democracy. Weird, but true”.
This is neither weird nor in fact true. It is not weird because all great political revolution or work of art took their first breath during dark days of depression as a reaction against injustices of tyrant rulers of their times. The cultural impositions or impositions of any other kind had always being considered as ‘Monster’ by insightful people who worked hard against that, never succumbing to the lowest level of attaching “Good” to it. This is like giving the credit of “French Revolution” to “King Louis the Fourteenth” instead of Voltaire or Roseau or acclaiming British Imperialists for ‘Quit India Movement’.

“Though Musharraf’s cultural strategy may not have engaged the common man the way Bhutto’s policies did, however, it did have a deep impact on urban, middle-class of Pakistan”

I wonder which positive cultural policies Mr. NFP has referred to. Can he be more specific please? Karachi which was ruled by the educated middle class people in good old days of seventies has gone from bad to worse, from living to dead because of the policies of first Zia and then Musharraf. Seeds of ethnic biases which were sown during Zia’s regime bloomed into giant trees in Musharraf’s period. Musharraf’s policies like his predecessors have only reinforced the polarization among the multi-cultural society of Karachi. And the middle class of Karachi had only suffered one culture, which was and is MQM’s Gunda gerdee’. I thought hard but could not find the effect of any impact deep or superficial, because of Musharraf’s cultural strategy in middle class of Lahore, Rawalpindi, Peshawer or Quetta… Come on NFP you tried hard but really you can do better than that. Just try to enlighten us more with clarity and specificity about Mr. Musharraf’s cultural strategies in your next ‘darbari’ appraisal.

“As one section of the middle-class youth responded with newborn religiosity, the other part blossomed in their new-found freedom, with gradual economic growth witnessed by the economy making the experience that much sweeter.”

False again; Religiosity was the outcome of eleven years of Zia’s ‘Islamization’ and sustained organized political struggle of religious parties’ esp. Jamat-e-Islami. This section of people had always been in the social picture of Pakistan. But Musharraf’s slogan of ‘moderate Islam’ (which was also a borrowed term from Bush) did succeed in fragmenting the people of Pakistan, just like any other dictator. While Zia created ethnic parties to shatter unity of Pakistan Musharraf’ policy ignited the most volatile zone, Islam for the same purpose. Never in the history of Pakistan had we seen so many sects of Islam, ‘the green turbans’, ‘the white turbans’, ‘Tableegies’ etc; their extravagant ‘Ijtimas’ (religious gatherings) and lavish religious ceremonies.
And speaking of gradual economic growth, are you kidding me? Really! If by economic growth you mean mushrooming of franchisees, ‘corporate-o-cracy’ (a term by author of ‘Economic Hit Man’), privatization of our most basic sectors (telecommunication, KESC, Medical colleges and Universities) than I could just pity your insight. Because of Musharraf’s economic policies we had witnessed the exploitation of young girls and boys who were gratified with easy money/overnight fame. They were lure in fields of modeling, TV and films or were hired as waiters and escorts in multinational chains of restaurants/hotels having no solid education, merits or real hard work. Musharraf’s economic policies generated record number of ‘Up-starts’. The urban middle class youth of today is hungry for money, glamour and power. The small minority of them who really wants to acquire education by keeping their morale’s find their dreams to get shattered by the hands of corrupt, greedy professors and teachers. The educational system has collapsed completely because of the meticulously planned strategies of establishment. Whatever political awareness is left is only seen in Punjab. Musharraf’s legacy (if there is any such thing) has nothing positive or beneficial to be remembered of and surely has no comparison with Bhutto. At least Zia has given us the celebration of Independence Day as a national event but what cultural moves Musharraf’s regime made, ‘Valentines Day’, Women’s day, Mother’s day or Basant? By the way ‘Basant had always been the colorful celebration in Punjab and it has not at all reached to the masses of Karachi, Sindh, NWFP and Balochistan inspite of laborious propaganda.

There is no comparison of Bhutto’s policies to Musharraf’s .Bhutto had a clear philosophy, an ideology of its own (though unacceptable for many) but for which he struggled way before he achieved throne and he formulated his manifesto based on that principle. And Musharraf has nothing of its own, all his terms are borrowed from west like ‘soft image, ‘Moderate Muslims’ , ‘enlightened moderation’ bla bla. Musharraf is simply the abhorred puppet, a deplorable pawn for Bush’s despicable administration. Bhutto was the first ‘Awami leader’ introduced the first unisex dress ‘Awami suits’, founder of the nuclear energy plant, aspiring force behind ‘United Islamic front or the Islamic Bomb’, the craftsman behind the first constitution and what not. Bhutto’s following, his ‘Jiale’ did not belong to one ethnic group but stretched from Indus to Khyber. Aah the seventies! Those were the days of true liberalism unlike Mr. Musharraf’s phony ‘enlightened modernism’. The political awareness we are observing in youth or through electronic media today is because of those people who acquired their political maturity during seventies. Aitzaz Hassan, Asma Jehangir, executives of Geo channel like Abdul Rauf, Imran Aslam, Dr Shahid Masud, Zia Awan, Ayaz Amir, Jawaid Jabbar, Gazanfar Ali etc they all had tasted the flavor of real democracy during magical times of Bhutto. Imran Khan is the only political leader among these who attained his political maturity during present regime but then he also belonged to the same generation. The forces behind today’s political awareness had long history of struggle for social and political injustices within their small circles but internet power and booming of satellite channels sort of combined their efforts. Not only this but they have managed to spread the sense of true democracy to the poor eighties generation. The eighties generation who suffered generalized cerebral degeneration during Zia’s time is finally grabbing the meaning of civilized political movements. The eleven years of dictatorship has not wiped out the charisma of Bhutto’s five years of democratic leadership. Now this is what a real legacy is...
The time obtained by the dictators to set a good example, to create a legacy which would be cherished through ages is huge as compared to the time given to our poor elected civilian leaders but whenever Pakistani nation felt ecstasy of national pride it was incidentally during the period of civilian rule; be it the acquiring of nuclear technology, hosting of Islamic summit conference, acclaiming of fame through Pakistan TV dramas, winning of the world cup cricket title or being the first Islamic country with nuclear bomb. And trageically whenever Pakistan’s solidarity was stabbed or Pakistan was internationally disgraced, it was because of these saviors of borders, be it the ‘fall of Dhaka’, ‘the drug traffics’, the culture of Kalashnikovs, the empowering of biased ethnic groups, religious extremism or suicide bombings.




Nikhat Riaz

#77 Posted by tahmed32

... refusing to allow this man to become another Hosni Mubarak ... So, Pakistan's future is bright. It is the future of this dictator and his henchmen that is already mud ...

I wish I could share your optimism. The restriction on 3rd time PM is being lifted. All major parties are participating. Even though neither PML (N) nor PPP will form a 2/3rd majority, together they will alongwith JUI (F)/MQM/ANP.

So you can safely look forward to the scenario of the 18th amendment going through (giving legal cover to action of 3rd November) in return for PPP in the centre with BB as PM, Punjab to PML (N), NWFP/Baluchistan to JUI (F)/ANP and Sind to PPP/MQM coalition.

PML (Q) to remain in the political wilderness till another fauji arrives, and the lawyers movement (Aitezaz Ahsan) plus Imran Khan sidelined till either Musharraf leaves voluntarily or forced to leave by some unforeseen event. And the CJ? Perhaps he will form a good legal practice.

Musharraf is not going to leave and no one can make him. That reality has dawned on NS.

But a little at a time is good strategy under the circumstances. Musharraf has now become openly oppressive in the classic manner and will stoop to any lows in crushing any budding movements against him, and the military will back him all the way.

Mateen writes "Pakistani judges have sacrificed their careers, lawyers have taken to the streets, in order to protect the rule of law in Pakistan. And Musharraf has put them behind bars..."

He is merely trying to imitate the global dictatorship of his masters, the US elite. When world decision and consensus goes against them, they merely "fire it" like Musharraf did with the judges, form their own "coalition of the willing", stacked with corrupt, rat fart countries (like Musharraf's new judges). Global dictatorship by the US elite is what defines our era, the petty dictators merely imitate their higher masters who are their lifeline....

Re: # 41

Romair and Tahmed Sahib:

Leader is simplest definition that I have found that a Leader is "Someone who with a group does more than what the group or the person can do alone."

There is ample evidence that Musharraff has delivered. Yes, I will not deny that my conclusion and rating might be biased. Please tell me, do you honestly believe that Pakistan without Musharraff would have been better with other alternatives - Benazir and Nawaz - on all the counts you mention? If you do not believe so, then why set a higher bar for Musharraff?

Only person I think who could come forth is this Aitzaz Ahsan. He has been jailed, confined deprived etc. etc. These things in my mind groom leaders, if they can survive. Be it in Burma, in the U.S. (Martin Luther King), be it in pre-independence India. I do not know much about him, if he has respect and following.

No stilled voices do I hear,
No forlorn faces my eyes do seek,
No slender arms bind me in warm embrace:
The ever-mourning winds of sorrow,
Sighing through chasms of dark hollows,
Blowing away misty mirth,
Setting adrift golden rays of waning sun;
Oh, Heavens! Suffuse me in your fulsome glow,
Carress me with streaks of silvery rays.....

#75 We are not talking opinions here - we are talking the brutal realities of Pakistan today: Pakistani judges have sacrificed their careers, lawyers have taken to the streets, in order to protect the rule of law in Pakistan. And Musharraf has put them behind bars. The murderers of peaceful demonstrators on May 12 roam free, while the dictator who sent armed men to kill them thinks Pakistan owes him the presidency. And these are just a few examples of the lawless behavior I mentioned.

I am very hopeful for the future - because character is what gives a nation a future. And the Pakistani nation has shown great character in refusing to allow this man to become another Hosni Mubarak, dictator for life. So, Pakistan's future is bright. It is the future of this dictator and his henchmen that is already mud - and their name will remain mud in history.

Tu shakh se kiyun phuta
mein shakh se kiyun toota
Manzil hai kahan teri
aye lala e seherai
Iqbal

#72 tahmed. Exactly why I have been a bit untactful in putting [hazy!] after your name.
Why do you suppose that your 'opinion' is to be counted more than the 'opinion' of NFP, particularly if it is in sync with my [and others'] thinking??!
Be open - and hopeful for the future.....!!
"Full many a gem of purest ray serene,
The dark, unfathomed caves of ocean bear;
Full many a flower was born to blush unseen,
And waste its sweetness on the desert air"

#72 tahmed. Exactly why I have been a bit untactful in putting [hazy!] after your name.
Why do you suppose that your 'opinion' is to be counted more than the 'opinion' of NFP, particularly if it is in sync with my [and others'] thinking??!
Be open - and hopeful for the future.....!!
"Full many a gem of purest ray serene,
The dark, unfathomed caves of ocean bear;
Full many a flower was born to blush unseen,
And waste its sweetness on the desert air"

Re: # 67
Dash_Dot,
Most TV Channels on news seldom discussed issues in the true perspective. Their talk shows were mostly based on day to day criticism by inviting guests from the shades in discussion. As such, they were more like discussion boards.

Perhaps one exception was Talat Hussain, who repeatedly made endeavours to take the discussions towards policy reviews but seldom succeeded. He then switched to a format in which he exclusively called analysts and scholars keeping politicians out. Though these shows created awareness, they fell on dumb ears.

Channels notwithstanding, the same divide in political parties is now applicable to mass media, judiciary and lawyers. Nusrat Javed said, ‘I have gone grey waiting for a revolution’. How right he is.

If someone has noticed, Mubbashir Luqman of Business Plus has become very vocal against government departments like land revenue and WAPDA to show criticism of the government. In fact what he is doing is to provide a substitute a la day to day travails and deflect thoughts from more serious policy matters.

I asked Beena Sarwar about the LIFAFA Culture, but she did not respond. But a chowkie who claims to be a journalist of repute laid aspersions on the credentials of people like Tammy Haq and Kamran Khan.

#71 MateenMM: This article is in bad taste since it tries to present a lawless dictator as introducing "culture", while putting down the Pakistanis who are bravely fighting for freedom from military rule.

What do you find commendable in this writer?

Helllooooo, EVERYONE!
Why must we turn every post into a political 'pigwash' trough?
A fine write-up on a somewhat more beatific subject, by a commendable writer, has been turned into a silly name-calling, bad-mouthing Musharraf, fuzzy Pak-India-Kashmir'no-win/you-lose' tirade: and JELL-Os like 'masadi' [seems to be a hypochondriac!] and somewhat ruffled tahmed [hazy!], are having a field-day with their uncivility.
And, out of the hay pops 'bulleya' with his usual cynicism- dipped-in-acid, bereft of any sensible idea or statement......

vanguard #54 " mean NFP is leaving behind AG Abdul Qayoom in bending over backwards to find a needle in haystack to praise Musharraf and which is not even a needle but some dried piece of dog shit. "

Well worth repeating.