11-11-2007, 08:36 AM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Pakistan on the verge of collapse </b>
Pioneer.com
After the blood soaked partition, Islamic scholars and maulvis used to meet Mohammad Ali Jinnah to impress upon him that Pakistan has been created on the basis of quantum of Muslim population and therefore, it should be Islamic and not secular.
In the first Constituent Assembly Jinnah had emphasised upon secular characteristics of the newly born nation. Islamic clergy did not want it to happen. Jinnah did not entertain them; rather, he rebuked them sometimes. But Jinnah died within a year and intense power struggle followed. Pakistan saw seven Prime Ministers in 10 years. In 1958 Army Chief Ayub Khan abrogated the infant constitution within two years of its formation. In place of this constitution, Pakistan was put under Marshal Law proclaimed by General Ayub Khan. He failed in Indo-Pak war of 1965 and had to hand over power to yet another General Yahya Khan in 1969. During his regime the discrimination against East Pakistan and Bangla language scaled new heights. West Pakistan treated East Pakistan as its colony and there was mass killings of over a million people. An exodus occurred and 10 million people crossed over to India to save their lives.
The situation compelled India to confront Pakistan. Pakistan was defeated and over 90,000 armed personnel surrendered to the Indian Army. General Yahya Khan had to pass the reigns of power to Pakistan's Peoples Party chief Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. Bhutto tried to run the country under a democratic system and also endeavoured to frame a durable constitution. But Army Chief General Zia-ul-Haq was waiting in the wings. He pounced upon and put Bhutto behind the bars in a bloodless coup and hanged him later allegedly for a murder. The Marshal Law continued for nine years till his air force plane crashed in 1998. It is said that CIA removed him from the scene as he become inconvenient.
After that some semblance of democracy was apparent when Pakistan Muslim League leader Nawaz Sharif and Pakistan's Peoples Party leader alternatively became Prime Ministers of Pakistan. It was in 1999 when Musharraf staged another bloodless Army coup that has been continuing till date.
There are vital pointers from this brief story of Pakistan. First, Pakistan could not evolve a durable constitution for itself worth the name through out its whole history. Every military dictator tempered the so called existing constitution and framed laws suiting his survival and interests. This is what has happened this time. Musharraf abrogated the constitution, promulgated the Emergency and imposed Marshal Law and above all dismissed the Chief Justice of Pakistan Supreme Court, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry along with half a dozen of his colleagues. He forced others to take another oath under Marshal Law which many of the Judges declined. He appointed a convenient Chief Justice of Supreme Court and manipulated the judiciary. In March 2007 he had given marching orders to Chaudhry but the legal community protested and Musharraf had to retract his steps.
Second, the foremost requirement of any State worth its name is that it must evolve a constitution. But Pakistan could not do so. Today the whole world thinks that Pakistan is a failed State. The basic reason behind this is periodic abrogation of its fragile constitution by one or the other Army General. The primary and the permanent factor, which worked in Pakistan throughout its history is the supremacy of Army over all others. No other institution could withstand its onslaught. Third, in every military take over, the reason given was the incompetence, failure and corruption in the civilian Government. The exception is Musharraf. Indirectly, he has to blame himself for the recent proclamation of Emergency.
One more factor has to be taken into consideration. Why do we not see democracy thriving in an Islamic country barring an exception here and there? Many learned scholars of Islam have conclusively proven that democracy and secularism are incompatible with the tenets of Islam. The symptoms of failure of Pakistan as a State are visible. After the assassination of Akbar Bugti, a popular tribal leader, it has become more ungovernable. There is fighting in NWFP. Heavy casualties are being reported. Extremists have strong pockets even in Punjab and Sindh provinces. When Benazir Bhutto arrived in Pakistan, 150 people were killed in a bomb blast.
In short Pakistan is waiting to collapse. Before that happens, UN has to device a control mechanism for the nuclear arsenals which have piled up in Pakistan's armoury and that poses grave danger not only for Pakistan but whole of the surrounding region. <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Pioneer.com
After the blood soaked partition, Islamic scholars and maulvis used to meet Mohammad Ali Jinnah to impress upon him that Pakistan has been created on the basis of quantum of Muslim population and therefore, it should be Islamic and not secular.
In the first Constituent Assembly Jinnah had emphasised upon secular characteristics of the newly born nation. Islamic clergy did not want it to happen. Jinnah did not entertain them; rather, he rebuked them sometimes. But Jinnah died within a year and intense power struggle followed. Pakistan saw seven Prime Ministers in 10 years. In 1958 Army Chief Ayub Khan abrogated the infant constitution within two years of its formation. In place of this constitution, Pakistan was put under Marshal Law proclaimed by General Ayub Khan. He failed in Indo-Pak war of 1965 and had to hand over power to yet another General Yahya Khan in 1969. During his regime the discrimination against East Pakistan and Bangla language scaled new heights. West Pakistan treated East Pakistan as its colony and there was mass killings of over a million people. An exodus occurred and 10 million people crossed over to India to save their lives.
The situation compelled India to confront Pakistan. Pakistan was defeated and over 90,000 armed personnel surrendered to the Indian Army. General Yahya Khan had to pass the reigns of power to Pakistan's Peoples Party chief Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. Bhutto tried to run the country under a democratic system and also endeavoured to frame a durable constitution. But Army Chief General Zia-ul-Haq was waiting in the wings. He pounced upon and put Bhutto behind the bars in a bloodless coup and hanged him later allegedly for a murder. The Marshal Law continued for nine years till his air force plane crashed in 1998. It is said that CIA removed him from the scene as he become inconvenient.
After that some semblance of democracy was apparent when Pakistan Muslim League leader Nawaz Sharif and Pakistan's Peoples Party leader alternatively became Prime Ministers of Pakistan. It was in 1999 when Musharraf staged another bloodless Army coup that has been continuing till date.
There are vital pointers from this brief story of Pakistan. First, Pakistan could not evolve a durable constitution for itself worth the name through out its whole history. Every military dictator tempered the so called existing constitution and framed laws suiting his survival and interests. This is what has happened this time. Musharraf abrogated the constitution, promulgated the Emergency and imposed Marshal Law and above all dismissed the Chief Justice of Pakistan Supreme Court, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry along with half a dozen of his colleagues. He forced others to take another oath under Marshal Law which many of the Judges declined. He appointed a convenient Chief Justice of Supreme Court and manipulated the judiciary. In March 2007 he had given marching orders to Chaudhry but the legal community protested and Musharraf had to retract his steps.
Second, the foremost requirement of any State worth its name is that it must evolve a constitution. But Pakistan could not do so. Today the whole world thinks that Pakistan is a failed State. The basic reason behind this is periodic abrogation of its fragile constitution by one or the other Army General. The primary and the permanent factor, which worked in Pakistan throughout its history is the supremacy of Army over all others. No other institution could withstand its onslaught. Third, in every military take over, the reason given was the incompetence, failure and corruption in the civilian Government. The exception is Musharraf. Indirectly, he has to blame himself for the recent proclamation of Emergency.
One more factor has to be taken into consideration. Why do we not see democracy thriving in an Islamic country barring an exception here and there? Many learned scholars of Islam have conclusively proven that democracy and secularism are incompatible with the tenets of Islam. The symptoms of failure of Pakistan as a State are visible. After the assassination of Akbar Bugti, a popular tribal leader, it has become more ungovernable. There is fighting in NWFP. Heavy casualties are being reported. Extremists have strong pockets even in Punjab and Sindh provinces. When Benazir Bhutto arrived in Pakistan, 150 people were killed in a bomb blast.
In short Pakistan is waiting to collapse. Before that happens, UN has to device a control mechanism for the nuclear arsenals which have piled up in Pakistan's armoury and that poses grave danger not only for Pakistan but whole of the surrounding region. <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->