Political manipulation in Pakistan

If economics drives politics, as they are saying these days, then you can get a fairly good picture of Pakistan from the rise and fall of the Karachi Stock Exchange, the largest bourse of the country. Some people say the Karachi Stock Exchange is often manipulated in favour of the moneyed guys.
   If it is true can we ask whether the politics of the country is manipulated? Many might reply that it could be true and they blame it on the man on the hill, Pervez Musharraf. (By the way he does not live on the hill; his residence is in Rawalpindi cantonment area which is far away from the capital city).
   Actually, well known columnist M. B. Naqvi may have said that already if we have read him correctly. He wrote it was a victory for Musharraf with regard to the order of the Lahore High Court which on Monday disqualified PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif from contesting a bye-election at Lahore constituency 123.
   In its order the Court stated that Nawaz Sharif's conviction in the infamous hijack case of Oct 12, 1999 still held the field, though he might have been exiled to Jeddah as an act of clemency.
   Thus, Sharif's difficulties are continuing still. At the same time, his other partner, Asif Zardari, another successful winner of the February 18 general election is safe behind the National Reconciliation Ordinance, reportedly brokered by the US and the UK. The NRO allowed Ms Benazir Bhutto to return to Pakistan on the promise that charges of cases instituted against her would be withdrawn. It is another matter that she was assassinated within 80 days of her return, and the promised protection proved false.
   Even Nawaz Sharif's brother, Shahbaz Sharif, the present Chief Minister of the Punjab province is also in trouble. In a case of the similar nature he was allowed by the same court to contest the election and to assume the portfolio but other legal questions were put on hold. Now they have come up again.
   The Opposition (read President Musharraf's party, Pakistan Muslim League-Q led by Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain) is raising various questions about his eligibility to hold the seat he won in a bye-election in the provincial constituency. Earlier on, both Shahbaz and his brother were debarred from contesting the general election.
   The legal question is that Shahbaz Sharif won from two constituencies, and he had to leave one of them during 30 days of the notification, which he failed to do, thus incurring the ire of Election commission Rule.
   In fact some commentators say that Nawaz Sharif and his party is particularly targeted by the PML-Q, which, as National Assembly and provincial Assembly proceedings show, are warming up to Asif Zardari's Pakistan People's Party. If proof is needed we only have to consider published report that Altaf Hussain's PMQ Members would be inducted in the Federal cabinet.
   The PML-N Members left this Cabinet when 42 days expired with no action taken by the government to restore the disrobed judges, as was agreed to in the Bhurban accord which both Nawaz Sharif and Asif Zardari had signed.
   Huge protests have been seen in all Punjab towns against Nawaz Sharif's disqualification, and there have demands that the federal Government must come clear on the PCO judges. The government has tried a damage control action by moving an application in the Supreme Court which has been admitted and has postponed the bye election in the constituency against which Nawaz Sharif was to run for bye election.
   Restoration of the old judges is a central issue in the Nawaz camp. In fact, publicly they say that they don't recognize the PCO judges. Contrary to this view, PML-N members voted for the clause which made financial provision for an extended Supreme Court with 29 judges, while the real count of the court is 16 Judges including the Chief Justice.
   That is, this matter has failed to receive any seriousness from Mr Asif Zardari or his party.
   Whenever the media raises the question he parries, and ridicules the question, "don't ask me to begin the count from the wrong end.'
   However, in this baffling political scenario the country is facing a serious militancy in the Frontier Province. (It is fashionable now to call it Pakhtunkhwa province). Things have come to such a pass that Peshawar town, the provincial capital is now in its grip.
   The new government has given power to the army to get on with the job and restore the government's writ.


Source: Holiday