Open Letter to General Musharraf

http://www.msnbc.com/news/381174.asp

Andrew Hill

Diplomats believe Clinton’s five-day visit to India conferred regional superpower status on New Delhi, which wants a permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council and access to U.S. markets. A five-hour Clinton stopover in Islamabad followed, signaling Washington’s disapproval of the coup that ended Pakistan’s stop-go democracy and gave Musharraf power.

Clinton warned Islamabad that Washington would not mediate over Kashmir nor help douse the flames of war if they were being stoked by either side. He also told Musharraf to concentrate on the sickly economy, not the 52-year Kashmir dispute.



“Musharraf needs World Bank, Asian Development Bank aid and has a host of domestic problems. Another Kargil would be a disaster for him,” said a Western envoy in Islamabad.

An Indian offer to talk to the Kashmiri umbrella group the All-Parties Hurriyat (Freedom) Conference (APHC) has caught Pakistan off guard and revealed splits in the movement, which says its Muslim people are the target of brutal repression. But there are no signs that the militants, who have battled Indian rule of Kashmir for a decade, feel compelled to exercise restraint. With the winter snows melting, they are crossing into Indian Kashmir, just as they have for the past 10 years.

Schooled in the Muslim creed of “jihad” (holy war), they think they are God’s vanguard for a military solution to Kashmir, 45 percent of which is controlled by India, one-third by Pakistan and the rest by China.

India says they are terrorists, while Pakistan calls them freedom fighters. Whatever the label, analysts believe their hit-and-run raids are the key threat to an uneasy regional peace.

“I don’t see a fresh flare-up but I also don’t see much chance of a resumption of dialogue either,” said Kuldip Nayar, a political commentator and member of India’s upper house of parliament. “In that sense the Kargil mountains have become higher.”

One would love to see what the addressee can say, if at all anything intelligible, in reply to this letter.

The question is: Why does military keeps coming back and take over the contry?

Answer: Democracy kept producing corrupt governments.

Asfand Siddiqui

Sacramento CA

A very good letter, wonder if General Musharraf will get to see it?

Though the writer has pointed out the shortfalls he has not made any positive suggestions on what could be done by the General to improve the situation in Pakistan?

Democracy has not worked and neither has previous military regimes.

Dear Umairr #32

``The only interests I have in India is on issues that relate to Pakistan, and the creation of Bangladesh is one of them.``

Stop fooling yourself. This article is about Mussharaf and Pakistan. What are you gaining by your very ``cho chweet`` innocent attempt to start a parallel discussion about ``general Bangladeshi`s opinion`` as narrated by Sigalph? If you are really interested in improving Pakistan (or yourself) you should ask Sigalph for feedback about your country or yourself rather than asking him how he feels about India, Russia or America or Bill Clinton.

This is your paranoia that forces you to always drag India in any debate and doesn`t allow you to objectively view yourself.

I can repharse your question to Sigalph, perhaps that will give you much better & useful information:

[[ Assume that it is from Umair ]]

``Dear Sigalph,

What is opinion of general Bangladeshi about Pakistani army, way they conducted themselves. Do you think their real aim was to plunder Bangladesh. How will they compare the treatment given to Biharis by Pakistani government with treament given to Sindhis, Baluchis and Mohajirs? Does an average Bengali feels that people of Baltistan have democracy?``

[[ Umair`s portion ends ]]

Military keeps coming back because it you Paki holy cow. It won`t follow civilian order. Even when civilian government was in charge real power that really matter in Pak rested with the Military. And when military intrests were superceded, like in Kargil situation, military looked for an excuse to take away power.

Pak did better in the 1980 becuase of billions of dollars coming in for Afghans not because military was better at governance.

Tibor!

Army is our sacred Cow. Let us deal with it.

Why have you let your cow loose in Kashmir.

Re: Tibor #38

Actually, Tibor, you have about half a point. The Army is sacred to Pakistani society. We are something like Prussia in the 19th century: a society where the status of the Army is almost beyond question. Unlike Prussia, we really don`t have much of a professional Junker class and the Pakistani Army cannot have been said to have built a society the same way that Prussia was the creation of the Hohenzollern`s and their army.

According to my uncle, who did serve in the Army for many years, the Pakistani Army is more like the old Hapsburg Austro-Hungarian Army: an Army without a country. So you see, all the brutality of the Army notwithstanding, the equation:

Army = Punjab = Pakistan

(and two districts of the NWFP included as honorary Punjabis!)

holds true. This equation has a cerain element of truth to it inspite of the fact that like all stylized facts it is a gross generalization.

Now, you could argue that the fissiparious tendencies of the nation were exacerbated by Army rule. Maybe. Maybe not. Don`t forget, the first crack in the Pakistan facade, the language riots of 1948 and the anti-Ahmadi riots of 1954(?) occurred before military rule.

RE: #35 Asfand

``The question is: Why does military keeps coming back and take over the contry?

Answer: Democracy kept producing corrupt governments.

Asfand Siddiqui

Sacramento CA``

The Army is the most corrupt institution in Pakistan since it gobbles up the majority of resources, albeit legally. This negates the endeavor of any democratic government to implement the social agenda since there is no money left after the military bill and debt bill have been paid. Is it any wonder then that no democratic government can function in Pakistan? Also, the military has time and again sold out Pakistan to the highest bidder which is why Pakistan has no respect. It is also why Clinton humiliated Pakistan on national TV. Pakistan would never have been treated so badly if a democratic government was in place, however corrupt it may have been.

I think the time has come for India to help those Pakistanis who would like to see a progressive Pakistan in tune with the rest of the world. For starters, it should invite Sindh province to join the Indian federation as an equal partner. India should ask Sindh leaders to tour the states to see how power has effectively devolved over the years from the center, a concept which is alien to Islamabad. It should showcase the incredible changes taking place in cities like Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Mumbai which are striving to be world-class and tell them that there is no reason why Karachi (which was Mumbai`s twin before independence) should not be the same instead of the killing field it is now. Benazir has already reasoned that Kashmir is like a bone stuck in Pakistan`s throat which is slowly choking it to death so I am sure she would be amenable to reason. Over time, this offer should be extended to Punjab, NWFP and the rest of Pakistan.

Interesting article from Reddif:

``Pak does not care much for politicians: Gallup

Most Pakistani parents want their sons to be army men, their sons-in-law businessmen and their immediate neighbours doctors, according to the Pakistan Gallup Poll.

Conversely, they did not care much for politicians, policemen and journalists.

The poll, reported by the Urdu daily Jang, found that hardly anybody wants his son or son-in-law from these three professions.

Of the 1000 men and women interviewed (it does not specify whether in Punjab or throughout Pakistan), nine per cent did not mind having a policeman as their neighbour, but only five per cent said they would have no objection if a politician was their neighbour.

Journalists occupied the lowest rung of preference. Only four per cent said they had no objection to having a journalist as their neighbour.

The people selected for the survey were asked only three questions: (i) what do you want your son or younger brother to be, (ii) what profession will you prefer for your son-in-law, and (iii) if there is a house vacant in your neighbourhood whom will you like to be the new occupant.

Gallup Pakistan is the local chapter of Gallup International.``

(Reddif, India)

The news media is active reporting the bactracking of the procedural change of reporting the blasphemy laws violation. It is reported that the reversal is due to the muscle power (a threat is a better word!) of the mullahs( what you call them Ulemma?). I am sure Umairr and other similar view holding Chowkwallas still will argue that in Pakistan religious parties have no representations. Now if you have proxies taking care of your agenda, why would you go through electioneering, all that buchwash and expense that goes with it, nay! By the way does anybody know when is the next human-rights conference scheduled? I would certainly like to hear about the developments from all those chest-thumping humanists that were singing sweet songs of praise for the Pirsahib of MilitaryShariff after the last conference. Anybody there? Umairr, Swink, Bina? BB was cricised for not doing anything for blasphemy laws or honor-killing or hadood, zina, etc. Had no guts, no balls(this, one can understand). But hey! the big brute general? the knight in shining armour? the one and only with the supreme national interests? No balls!!!

ALIENATING THE BUSINESS CLASS:

The need for reform not withstanding Gen. Musharraf`s regime has with great speed alienated large sectors of the Pakistani society involved in trade, commerce and industry. This robust section of our society has for 50 years given the military a carte blanche. You can spend any amount as long as the country remains physically secure and you get us Kashmir. Gen Musharraf by toadying up the world bank and citibank has destroyed that consensus. The murder of a trader in the sales tax commissioner has finally shown the face of the regime. The announcement that followed the murder was cynical in the extreme. Musharraf is supporting the IMF and world bank exit program to close industrial companies in trouble with their banks. The influx of inexperienced highly employeees after the complete lobotomy of Pakistani financial sector has revealed how removed from reality the regime is. Incidenly can a chowkwala find out what Shaukat Azix, our flaky foreign minister, discussed with Mr James Rubin. A new scam ??

tvarad (#41): There is no chance for Sindhi nationalist leaders to be pro-Indian. Some of them might look at India as a friend based on ``enemy of my enemy is my friend``. Some of their grieviences stem from the immigration of Punjabis, Pathans and Mohajir and share of Indus water. They are not stupid to think that they can get more Indus water as part of India than as part of Pakistan. They either want Independence or provincial autonomy but in election fare as bad as mullahs. They will not have huge land holdings, bonded laborers, private jails and private militia, if they were ever to be part of India. But if it is your dream, I guess dreaming is natural.

However, here is a real deal for you. How about Pakistan offering two district, Tharparker and Mirpur Khas to India in return for Kashmir valley (excluding Jammu). Indian government can sell it to Indians as safeguarding the Hindu minorities of Pakistan by incorporating Rajputs and Bhels to Rajhistan and Gujrat. Pakistani government can sell it as safeguarding the Kashmiri Muslim interests. Mullah will be happy to see Muslim population of Pakistan gone up another notch. It will free 700,000 Indian military personnel so that they can have a normal life without fear and with the loved ones. Pakistan might throw in Rann of Kutch also as a sweetner. A win-win situation.

Forget about NWFP or Punjab. You are not thinking about the long term implications of a united Punjab boardering on the outskirts of Delhi. Even a faint move for Independence will send shock waves through all of India. Believe me, you are better off without too many Pathans and Punjabis.

Sometimes I laugh reading so many Indians criticizing or ridiculing TNT without realizing that it has benefited them more than Pakistan. It can be argued either way if people of Pakistan would have been better or worse off, being part off India. But a united India would not have survived by now. A secular federation or confederation of northwestern states would have definitely emerged based on historical facts as well as the power of supplying at least half of all the military. Not only India would have been unable to stop this fissure, but the northwestern alliance would have included HP, Haryana and KAshmir as well. Sikhs would have been happy for being 10% of the population than previously miniscule 2% of united India. You should be thankful for TNT that you have now to face only Nagaland, Mizoram and other insignificant uprisings.

RE: Reply #45 (SameerJB)

Sameer,

The last twenty years of Indian politics has seen an inexorable movement towards regional politics. Some Pakistanis may be happy to hear that India is ``virtually`` breaking up, i.e. states are increasingly making their own decisions and setting their own goals and direction. Many Indians viewed this drive for autonomy with alarm thinking that it would eventually mean independent countries and a weakening of India. But this has obviously not happened and in fact, the federal structure of India has been strenghthened. I merely presented the idea of Sindh and other Pakistani states joining the Indian federation under this context since Pakistan has made virtually no headway in solving or evolving it`s federal/constitutional setup. I, of course, never factored in the feudal politics of Pakistan and wouldn`t know how to bell that cat so I`ll let it rest! As they say, be careful what you wish for, it just might come true.

Regarding exchanging the Kashmir valley for some other territory, I have an even better idea. How about you guys annexing Bihar in exchange for all of Kashmir? It`s Wild West nature seems to be aptly suited for Pakistani style politics. Lalloo Prasad will make an admirable foil to Nawaz Sharif since they are very comfortable counting their loot in the billions (when they are not counting bars, that is) and Kulsoom could get a few pointers from Rabri about running a government from the kitchen while her husband is in jail. Best part is all the Biharis stranded in Bangladesh can then walk over into Pakistan!

Regarding 700000 military personnel in Kashmir as you know, life is not worth much in the sub-continent. And believe me, Pakistan will run out of cannon fodder long before India does. Being 1 billion strong does have it`s advantages.

I agree with you about the TNT on most points but also for a different reason. Put simply, Partition staved off certain civil war and it`s horrifying consequences. The irony is that the heartland of Indian Muslims in UP stayed with India while those areas which were ambivalent about partition became Pakistan. Pakistan is still grappling with this lack of identiy today.

Kant#43

Umair might come to respond you.

We cannot send half of our forces to kill our own countrymen in tens of thousands.

As simple as that.

re

``What do the Bangladeshis consider the main cause of the creation of Bangladesh? How does the average Bengali view the average Pakistani now? How does the average Bengali view India? Do the Bengalis feel that India supported them in 1971, becuase it was genuinely intersted in stopping Pakistan`s human rights violations in E. Pakistan, or do they feel India`s main aim was to split Pakistan, i.e. it was not concerned about the Bengalis one way or the other? What is the view of the average Bengali regarding the independence of Pakistan (both E. and W.) in 1947? How is W. Pakistan portrayed in Bangladesh`s history books? What is the view of the average Bengali about the struggle of the Kashmiris for self-determination? Do they consider the Kashmiri struggle similar to the struggle for Bangladesh?``

I can only give you my individual observations in a compact form. With the exception of Mujib`s Awami League die-hards, the average Bangladeshi, while feeling normal gratitude for Indian help in 1971, tends to view India with deep suspicion. He knows that far more than mere altruism was involved in the healping hand by India. Nor have we forgotten the rapacious loot of the withdrawing Indian troops in 1971-72 when they spares nothing from our legitimate war booty of captured Pakistani tanks to machinery in abandoned jute mills. Any visit to a cricket or hockey match between India and Pakistan will tell you volumes where the things stand. The telling comment was made by the Pakistan`s vice captain Kaleemullah after the Indo-Pak final of the 1986 Asia Hockey Cup in Dhaka: ``This is just like home ground crowd.`` My point is that apparently the average Bangladeshi is ``cool`` with the average Paksitani.

That doesn`t take away from the fact that most Bangladeshis still have serious misgivings about Pakistan in the 1971 imbroglio. Pakistan would do wonders if it were to amicably settle the Bihari and the assett issues.

Kashmir has only recently begun to register on the mental map of the Bengali. Again, with the exception of the Indian stooges, most people who know about it tend to sympathise with the Kahmiri struggle. That sympathy is in no small measure due to the memories of our War of Independence. History books have been recently ``revised`` by the Awami League government to reflect a more anti-Pakistan bias. Until this, the books were fairly rational in goinig through the history of the people without maligning any nationality in particular.

The older generation, even those who actively participated in the War of Independence, have fond memories of 1947 followed closely by a dream betrayed. My late grandfather was an active participant in both freedom movements. He lamented the loss of a united Pakistan bitterly and fought for our Independence too; his rationale was that Pakistan had to be split to keep freedom alive and that the Pakistan of 1971 was not the one he had sacrificed so mush for in 1946-7. Bengalis, in spite of Awami League brainwashing, can hardly forget that they were the pioneers of the Pakistan movement.

All said, I trust most Bangladeshis believe the core cause of the split of Pakistan to be their perception, a reality if you ask me, that they were being treated as second class citizens.

On an aside, I thank Bilal Ahmed for his clarification. Most Pakistanis I know have only the warmest wishes for Bangladesh and the feeling is well reciprocated. If England and America can be best friends after their history, there is no reason that Bangladesh and Pakistan cannot be.

To Thakur who demands respect for the Pakistan Army, I am all with him. Except that respect must be commanded from within not demanded from without. And yes, I am all too familiar with the jawans who guard the borders at Sargodha and Sialkot. These were the boys, who short on equipment, got down with bombs tied to their bodies under Indian tanks to stop them in 1965. They were the men of 1st and 2nd East Bengal Regiments, the latter commanded by a breveted officer and Kakul named Ziaur Rahman. But my friend, armies get moth-eaten, bloated, corrupted and emasculated when, instead of guarding borders, they run secretariats. That is what has happened to the one of the world`s finest fighting force, the Pakistan Army. The Bangladesh Army is only now regaining its lost glory for similar reasons.

The parting of ways between Pakistan and Bangladesh was painful to say the least. But it is well said by a poet that parting is,

``all we need of hell/and all we know of heaven``