Benazir Bhutto vs Zia's Bakiyat
Even in the last days of her life, Benazir Bhutto used to say her fight is with relics of Zia Ul Haq. Many thought, she was dragging the name Zia Ul Haq way too far. A look at the events of last few weeks and one could see - she wasn't.
It is an open battle between the relics of Zia and the party of Benazir Bhutto. What is at stake is Pakistan as we know of it today. On one hand is Mr. Sharif, who has publicly vowed to destroy everything to get rid of Mr. Zardari and weaken Pakistan Army. On the other hand is Mr. Zardari who is standing between Pakistan and Zia's jihadis' dream to takeover Pakistan. If Zardari goes, killed or removed, the country will fall into an endless conflict/civil war whose logical culmination seems emergence of Jihadis in NWFP, Punjab, Northern Balochistan, Norther Sindh and Karachi.
I, for someone who has been raising voice against reckless behavior of Army over the years, must confess that anyone who wants to malign the institution of Army at a time when it is trying to reform itself from within and is fighting the cancer of militancy is not a friend of Pakistan. Army is our foremost line of defense against Jihadis and we need to back our Armed Forces in their fight against Talibanization. One of the prime reasons of Benazir Bhutto's risky return to Pakistan was to provide cover, support and protection to Pakistan Army in this battle of our survival. Our brave uniformed soldiers, under the civilian cover and leadership of PPP-led coalition Govt., are laying down their lives in NWFP and tribal areas against these Jihadis. If Army weakens, Zia's Jihadis will take control. If Zardari goes, Zia's Jihadis will be closer to their ultimate aim. No wonder they are targeting Army and Zardari in the same breath. This is a time when political leadership of Pakistan is supporting its military leadership and its military leadership is standing behind the political leadership. The squeeze on Taliban is eminent - and the Taliban Sympathizers in PML-N and media have declared mutiny. Is it a mere coincidence that the call for Mutiny comes on the day when UN receives funding for Benazit Bhutto's investigation tribunal and it is just a matter of days when the probe begins. This destabilization drive might be an attempt to destroy the system before the investigations reach conclusion.
Now one can ask me why do I label PML-N the relics of Zia, when they denounce Zia Ul Haq openly? The reason I do this is because PML-N has been taken over by the Jamat-e-Islami Zia Ul Haq faction and just when the leaguers in N denounce Zia and his Martial Law, these Jamat elements never did so. Jamat-e-Islami traditionally had a ideological segment and a violent segment. A couple of years into Zia's Martial Law, Jamat's ideological segment started distancing itself from Zia while its ideological segment, under Mian Tufail continued to play the B-team of Zia Ul Haq. These are the people who vowed to complete the mission of Zia for many years after his death. These are the people who now form the hawkish core of PML-N. Political compulsions post-Musharraf Martial Law made Nawaz distance himself from Zia but it seems his heart remained where it has always been. Zia prayed that his age be given to Nawaz Sharif and Nawaz is adamant to fulfill Zia's mission of bringing Amir-ul-Mominiyat to Pakistan. It seems that a tenant of Shia Fiqa "taqiya" has been conveniently adopted by Jihadis' figure heads Nawaz and Hamid Gul.
And who are the people who control the policy making and media of PML-N. PML-N's information cell which is at the forefront of media campaign and mutiny-mongering press releases is controlled by ex-Zia Jamatis. The man at the center of most of violence post-Supreme Court decision Hanif Abbasi is an ex-Jamati. Most of the violence has been in the constituencies of ex-Jamatis. And none of these ex-Jamatis ever criticized Zia Ul Haq publicly or privately. In reality, the policy of N and lawyers movement seems to be stemming from Hamid Gul - and I need not tell anyone who the man is. Their fore-bearers in media are all ex-Jamatis too. Irfan Siddiqui who endlessly lectures us on democracy and human rights is an ex-Jamait and an overt admirer of Zia. Haroon ur Rasheed another self-righteous, self-proclaimed Sufi gives us lectures day in day out on ethics and human rights while praising Zia and Ghulam Ishaq Khan in the same breath. Needless to say, he was the writer of a book on Jihadis' leader Gen. Akhtar Abdul Rahman, titled Fateh-e-Afghanistan.
With such Ziais in action, it is not hard to understand why N has opted for disruption of system. They have no stakes in Pakistan. They have no stakes in its constitution. They have no stakes in its people. They are obsessed with their vision of Jihad, Theocracy (at the behest of the man on top), and Amir-ul-Mominiyat. We came close to it in late 90s. We, the people of Pakistan, would not be bitten twice. It is not Muslim League that is challenging the system. It is JI (Zia ul Haq group) which has launched its last-ditch desperate and God willing failed attempt to disrupt the system.
They think they can fool the people of Punjab. So, far they have failed and fail they will. There time is coming to an end, their philosophy had to die and die will it. If they have to be part of Pakistani politics, there only bet is to embrace the system. If they want their ideology to flourish - sorry but with the grace of God the time for death of that idea has come.
Punjab has shown and will keep showing that they stand with a united Pakistan in the wake of this abuse of Punjab card. All looks same as it did in 1977. Same influx of petro-dollars. Same violent JI. Same Zia Ul Haqi Ikhwan ideologues. But time has changed. The liberal forces realize what is at stake and are united to save Pakistan. The army stands behind civilian leadership for its honor and for its country. And above all, people of Pakistan are not willing to be fooled by these thugs who want to drag us into dark ages. May the grace of God be with us. Amen!
It is an open battle between the relics of Zia and the party of Benazir Bhutto. What is at stake is Pakistan as we know of it today. On one hand is Mr. Sharif, who has publicly vowed to destroy everything to get rid of Mr. Zardari and weaken Pakistan Army. On the other hand is Mr. Zardari who is standing between Pakistan and Zia's jihadis' dream to takeover Pakistan. If Zardari goes, killed or removed, the country will fall into an endless conflict/civil war whose logical culmination seems emergence of Jihadis in NWFP, Punjab, Northern Balochistan, Norther Sindh and Karachi.
I, for someone who has been raising voice against reckless behavior of Army over the years, must confess that anyone who wants to malign the institution of Army at a time when it is trying to reform itself from within and is fighting the cancer of militancy is not a friend of Pakistan. Army is our foremost line of defense against Jihadis and we need to back our Armed Forces in their fight against Talibanization. One of the prime reasons of Benazir Bhutto's risky return to Pakistan was to provide cover, support and protection to Pakistan Army in this battle of our survival. Our brave uniformed soldiers, under the civilian cover and leadership of PPP-led coalition Govt., are laying down their lives in NWFP and tribal areas against these Jihadis. If Army weakens, Zia's Jihadis will take control. If Zardari goes, Zia's Jihadis will be closer to their ultimate aim. No wonder they are targeting Army and Zardari in the same breath. This is a time when political leadership of Pakistan is supporting its military leadership and its military leadership is standing behind the political leadership. The squeeze on Taliban is eminent - and the Taliban Sympathizers in PML-N and media have declared mutiny. Is it a mere coincidence that the call for Mutiny comes on the day when UN receives funding for Benazit Bhutto's investigation tribunal and it is just a matter of days when the probe begins. This destabilization drive might be an attempt to destroy the system before the investigations reach conclusion.
Now one can ask me why do I label PML-N the relics of Zia, when they denounce Zia Ul Haq openly? The reason I do this is because PML-N has been taken over by the Jamat-e-Islami Zia Ul Haq faction and just when the leaguers in N denounce Zia and his Martial Law, these Jamat elements never did so. Jamat-e-Islami traditionally had a ideological segment and a violent segment. A couple of years into Zia's Martial Law, Jamat's ideological segment started distancing itself from Zia while its ideological segment, under Mian Tufail continued to play the B-team of Zia Ul Haq. These are the people who vowed to complete the mission of Zia for many years after his death. These are the people who now form the hawkish core of PML-N. Political compulsions post-Musharraf Martial Law made Nawaz distance himself from Zia but it seems his heart remained where it has always been. Zia prayed that his age be given to Nawaz Sharif and Nawaz is adamant to fulfill Zia's mission of bringing Amir-ul-Mominiyat to Pakistan. It seems that a tenant of Shia Fiqa "taqiya" has been conveniently adopted by Jihadis' figure heads Nawaz and Hamid Gul.
And who are the people who control the policy making and media of PML-N. PML-N's information cell which is at the forefront of media campaign and mutiny-mongering press releases is controlled by ex-Zia Jamatis. The man at the center of most of violence post-Supreme Court decision Hanif Abbasi is an ex-Jamati. Most of the violence has been in the constituencies of ex-Jamatis. And none of these ex-Jamatis ever criticized Zia Ul Haq publicly or privately. In reality, the policy of N and lawyers movement seems to be stemming from Hamid Gul - and I need not tell anyone who the man is. Their fore-bearers in media are all ex-Jamatis too. Irfan Siddiqui who endlessly lectures us on democracy and human rights is an ex-Jamait and an overt admirer of Zia. Haroon ur Rasheed another self-righteous, self-proclaimed Sufi gives us lectures day in day out on ethics and human rights while praising Zia and Ghulam Ishaq Khan in the same breath. Needless to say, he was the writer of a book on Jihadis' leader Gen. Akhtar Abdul Rahman, titled Fateh-e-Afghanistan.
With such Ziais in action, it is not hard to understand why N has opted for disruption of system. They have no stakes in Pakistan. They have no stakes in its constitution. They have no stakes in its people. They are obsessed with their vision of Jihad, Theocracy (at the behest of the man on top), and Amir-ul-Mominiyat. We came close to it in late 90s. We, the people of Pakistan, would not be bitten twice. It is not Muslim League that is challenging the system. It is JI (Zia ul Haq group) which has launched its last-ditch desperate and God willing failed attempt to disrupt the system.
They think they can fool the people of Punjab. So, far they have failed and fail they will. There time is coming to an end, their philosophy had to die and die will it. If they have to be part of Pakistani politics, there only bet is to embrace the system. If they want their ideology to flourish - sorry but with the grace of God the time for death of that idea has come.
Punjab has shown and will keep showing that they stand with a united Pakistan in the wake of this abuse of Punjab card. All looks same as it did in 1977. Same influx of petro-dollars. Same violent JI. Same Zia Ul Haqi Ikhwan ideologues. But time has changed. The liberal forces realize what is at stake and are united to save Pakistan. The army stands behind civilian leadership for its honor and for its country. And above all, people of Pakistan are not willing to be fooled by these thugs who want to drag us into dark ages. May the grace of God be with us. Amen!
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