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Untold story behind Karachi violence |
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Harjit Singh
The Musharraf Government is coming under attack from democratic forces on the one hand and terrorists of all hues on the other, leading to an impression that Pakistan is heading for a civil war and the situation is getting out of hand for Gen. Musharraf, who is planning to have himself elected by the existing Assemblies without shedding his uniform.
This much was clear from last week’s developments in which 40 people were killed and scores of others wounded in a confrontation between the supporters of the ousted Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Iftikhar M. Chaudhury, and those of MQM, which is a coalition partner in the Provincial Government in Sindh, and the suicide bombing in Peshawar by an Al-Qaeda/Taliban extremist.
Clearly by stopping Iftikhar Chaudhury from addressing a meeting at the Sindh High Court in Karachi, President Musharraf did not want him to receive the kind of enthusiastic reception that he received when he drove to Lahore earlier this month to an unprecedented welcome when even the serving High Court judges turned up to listen to him. That President Musharraf is bent upon sidelining Iftikhar and having a favourable verdict from the Supreme Judicial Council against him has become clear from the fact that a senior police officer, Saleemullah Khan, who planned to depose in favour of the ousted judge was arrested and the Supreme Court’s Additional Registrar, Syed Hamid Raza, was killed by unidentified gunmen in what is described as target killing. He had been inducted in the Supreme Court by Justice Iftkhar Chaudhury a year ago and his wife told the judges who came to condole his death to be careful about their security.
President Musharraf does not want to take any chances in his keenness to have himself re-elected as President even while donning the uniform of military chief. Notwithstanding the criticism over the spiralling judicial crisis, he has made it clear that he will go ahead with his re-election by the existing Assemblies to be held from September 15 to October 15 rather than the new Assemblies whose complexion he is unable to fathom at this stage. Despite the calls by Opposition parties, especially the MMA and even Britain that he must honour his pledge to leave the post of Army Chief before contesting, he has not held out any promise. In fact, one of the reasons for his moving against Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhury on charges of misconduct was to ensure that he does not upset his plans. Chowdhury is known to have given many judgements against the Government, like the missing persons and State take-over of a steel mill. Musharraf wants to be re-elected as President by the same electoral college that elected him in January, 2004. He feared that this unusual move would be challenged in the Supreme Court and that is why in a pre-emptive strike, he removed Iftikhar Chaudhury from his way.
The same anxiety to get re-elected had prompted him to send feelers to Benazir Bhutto that the corruption cases against her and her husband could be withdrawn and she allowed to return home if her PPP supported his re-election. Her additional demand for the post of Prime Minister is reported to have stalled the agreement. The need for PPP support has become necessary because the last time he fought the election, he had the support of the MMA to pass the Dual Office Law which enabled him to retain his post as Army Chief along with that of the President. But, he reneged his solemn pledge made to MMA that he would quit the army post within a year. MMA now says it committed a grave blunder in facilitating the passage of the 17th amendment and was duped by Musharraf. The General is now hoping to have the PPP support because a two-thirds’ majority is needed. The Constitution allowed him to keep the uniform till the end of this year but the term could be extended if the new Assembly approves it with a two-thirds majority. Now that the MMA is in a defiant mood and its Chairman, Qazi Hussain Ahmed has filed a petition in the Supreme Court challenging the constitutional validity of the Dual Office Law passed by Parliament in 2004, the two thirds majority cannot be mustered without the backing of the PPP.
Benazir Bhutto is, however, keeping the cards close to her chest. She seems to be in no hurry to grab the offer. She is aware of the helplessness of Musharraf. She will extract maximum concessions from him and exploit fully his dependence on her party for re-election.
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