Wrong means will never lead to right ends...

Almost all of the (pseudo) educated people (not those who could hardly sign but the ones who have good grasp of reading and writing either English or Urdu) in Pakistan are hit by either of the two syndrome (some times even both at the same time). A sizeable are getting euphoric about the religion and turning to religion (branded mind you) as their sole survival, and the remaining are all praises for military rule, considering it the mantra for all the ills. This lack of objectivity and rationale amongst the educated people in Pakistan should be the prime cause of concern for the nation-state. For anyone who is sensible enough, and has not closed his mental faculties to listen to any rationale or logic, how religious euphoria is a killer needs no proof. Similarly, why those who think military rule is the cure to all ills are naive needs no explanation if one digs just a little deep. Still, I will analyze both. This article is for Mushy lovers. And later, I will talk about the "Islamyat". The Mushy baba's ask me why I don't appreciate Musharaf for all that he has done all along. They cite his successes in economic affairs and foreign policy. They cite his drive to liberalization. They mention his bold decision. They hail his stand against religious extremism. And above all, they cite the fact that he has enabled the nation get rid of "old-dirty politicians and politics". Now I can go on and on disproving that Musharaf regime is a failure in economic affairs and foreign policy (and believe me there is a very very strong case for it), that the liberalization drive is a mere hypocrisy, that his fight against religious extremism is an eye-wash, and that we have ended up with the most corrupt cabinet in the history of this country (many federal ministers and ministers of state having cases in Govt. administered NAB), the most unethical political system (recall one vote majority of Jamali or referendum or local bodies elections), and the most corrupt regime (let the Caesar fall and the true stories will start circulating). People also cite the development of East Asian economies under dictatorships (though those were the homogenous societies unlike us and even they needed democracies for a sustainable growth). But I don't detest the regime because of its economic or foreign policy failures. Neither do I make a case on the principle of democracy (though I strongly believe that it is the best system for a heterogeneous country like Pakistan). I detest Musharaf and for that matter all military rules because they are based on self interest and arrogance of “men in khaki”. I would have been his biggest admirer had he eliminated Benazir and Nawaz Sharif to clean the political system. But seeing Chaudhries and Faisal Salehs and MQMs and SaifUllahs and Humayun Akhatars and, hell, all of them, this was not his motive. Benazir and Nawaz Sharif are out, not because they are corrupt (though none of them is convicted as yet), but because they have the public support to threaten the military's hegemony on domestic affairs.

Similarly, the liberalization drive and openness is not to liberate Pakistani society from age-old vices but to divert attention from the ground realities both home and abroad. This liberalization drive has enabled the regime to score points before Washington (who, for that matter, are hypocrites of the same intensity) and has also enabled the military to establish a political system having King's party (PML-Q) and King's opposition (MMA). It was in a bid to draw political lines between pseudo liberals and religious fanatics rather than left and right or democrats and dictators. It has also enabled the regime to make a claim before the West that in the absence of Musharaf, mullah's will run wild (though this eventually will strengthen mullah to a degree where they will demand full pie and will make West think of dealing directly with the "Mullah alternative" - Shot in the foot). The liberalization is restricted to marathons and basants (I am not against any of these events, I am all for them, but it is none of state’s business to arrange them or to ban them), and is blatantly exposed when it comes to raiding theatre halls and breaking the statues at the city squares -Ref. Ghazi Chowk, DHA, Lahore). Benazir or Nawaz Sharif are not the problem, the system is. And the fact is that under this regime, this system of corruption, moral-drought, ad hoc-ism, hypocrisy, fraud and injustice is stronger than ever before. Opting the right way may or may not lead to destination (our limited experiment with democracies), but opting the wrong way will never lead to destination. And military rule mind – you - is a wrong way.