Let us get rid of Asif Ali Zardari!
In 2007, Pakistan faced a multitude of crisis. First and foremost was the internal insurgencies and halfhearted response of Musharraf regime to Taliban threat had put the country on the brink of oblivion. On top of it, Army's reputation as an institution was at an all time low which made it impossible for it to go after Taliban. Add to it the public opinion that was bitterly divided on fighting Taliban insurgency and the deep distrust that existed in world capitals because of Mush's double crossing. Amidst these circumstances, Benazir Bhutto risked her life to go back and help Army fight the battle that was to be fought. The Army, she came back to protect, could not save her life and she lay in blood on a dirt track in Rawalpindi.
After her demise, Asif Zardari was brought to the center stage and started working on fighting Taliban, resolving Balochistan crisis, and removing Pakistan's international isolation.
As things stand right now, Army's image as an institution has been miraculously restored, nation is united in fighting Taliban, Balochistan has a hope for peace, and international community is falling behind Pakistan's fight with material and moral support. And this precisely is why the power players in Pakistan should accelerate their attempts to get rid of Asif Ali Zardari.
It will be in line with our national character and history. In 1971, when the Army was defeated and India asserted its military superiority, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the man himself, came to the rescue. He got 90,000 armed personal free from prison camps in India, got thousands of miles of captured area back, took Pakistan out of international isolation, and to strengthen defense pioneered the nuclear program. When all was in place, we were quick to get rid of him dragging him to gallows and sending him to the graveyard of Garhi.
Again in late 80s and early 90s, when the days of reliance of American aid were coming to an end as a result of end of cold war, economy was stagnant and energy to run it non-existant, and India's advantage in conventional warfare was hard to breech, came Benazir Bhutto to the rescue. Energy was being produced in surplus, telecommunication and banking sectors were regularized, and more importantly the country got most sophisticated missile program which till today acts as a deterrence against external aggression. Once she did her part, we got rid of her and put her to a life of misery which ended with her killing in Liaquat Bagh.
So now we must do the same. We have been preparing for it for long. No one mentions corruption of Shaukat Aziz which was ascertained by the Supreme Court. No one mentions the wrong-doings of Nawaz Sharif from tax-evasion to illegal use of electricity. No one even bothers mentioning about his conviction in not one but two cases. All we focus on is Zardari's corruption, never proven in any court of law anywhere in the world. They say Nawaz's conviction doesn't matter because it was under the hostile courts of Musharraf (of which Iftikhar Chaudhary was a part of:)). What they ignore is that Zardari's cases were not registered in or tried under Zulfikar Ali Bhutto courts either. They were under 2 consecutive hostile regimes for 11 years without conviction. Media talks of NRO yet is so touchy over the Jeddah deal and media. NRO mind you was an ordinance for people against whom nothing had been proved for 11 years, Jeddah deal a pardon to convicted. Task of these Jiyalas leaders is to get us out of the ditch. They do their duty and we get rid of them (often physically). So it is time to accelerate our attempts to get rid of Asif Ali Zardari.
Bureaucracy showed on March 15th where it stands. Courts are controlled by Zardari's arch-rivals. Elements in military and intelligence services have been anti-Zardari. It's only the top-brass of Armed Forces which needs to be brought on board. They must realize that traditions are more important than showing gratitude for Zardari's service. As far as Americans are concerned, they can live with any "friendly" regime in Pakistan, even the one brought up as a result of a Khomeini style coup. Can Army stand this coup is a million dollar question? For now, let us focus on getting rid of the man.
After her demise, Asif Zardari was brought to the center stage and started working on fighting Taliban, resolving Balochistan crisis, and removing Pakistan's international isolation.
As things stand right now, Army's image as an institution has been miraculously restored, nation is united in fighting Taliban, Balochistan has a hope for peace, and international community is falling behind Pakistan's fight with material and moral support. And this precisely is why the power players in Pakistan should accelerate their attempts to get rid of Asif Ali Zardari.
It will be in line with our national character and history. In 1971, when the Army was defeated and India asserted its military superiority, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the man himself, came to the rescue. He got 90,000 armed personal free from prison camps in India, got thousands of miles of captured area back, took Pakistan out of international isolation, and to strengthen defense pioneered the nuclear program. When all was in place, we were quick to get rid of him dragging him to gallows and sending him to the graveyard of Garhi.
Again in late 80s and early 90s, when the days of reliance of American aid were coming to an end as a result of end of cold war, economy was stagnant and energy to run it non-existant, and India's advantage in conventional warfare was hard to breech, came Benazir Bhutto to the rescue. Energy was being produced in surplus, telecommunication and banking sectors were regularized, and more importantly the country got most sophisticated missile program which till today acts as a deterrence against external aggression. Once she did her part, we got rid of her and put her to a life of misery which ended with her killing in Liaquat Bagh.
So now we must do the same. We have been preparing for it for long. No one mentions corruption of Shaukat Aziz which was ascertained by the Supreme Court. No one mentions the wrong-doings of Nawaz Sharif from tax-evasion to illegal use of electricity. No one even bothers mentioning about his conviction in not one but two cases. All we focus on is Zardari's corruption, never proven in any court of law anywhere in the world. They say Nawaz's conviction doesn't matter because it was under the hostile courts of Musharraf (of which Iftikhar Chaudhary was a part of:)). What they ignore is that Zardari's cases were not registered in or tried under Zulfikar Ali Bhutto courts either. They were under 2 consecutive hostile regimes for 11 years without conviction. Media talks of NRO yet is so touchy over the Jeddah deal and media. NRO mind you was an ordinance for people against whom nothing had been proved for 11 years, Jeddah deal a pardon to convicted. Task of these Jiyalas leaders is to get us out of the ditch. They do their duty and we get rid of them (often physically). So it is time to accelerate our attempts to get rid of Asif Ali Zardari.
Bureaucracy showed on March 15th where it stands. Courts are controlled by Zardari's arch-rivals. Elements in military and intelligence services have been anti-Zardari. It's only the top-brass of Armed Forces which needs to be brought on board. They must realize that traditions are more important than showing gratitude for Zardari's service. As far as Americans are concerned, they can live with any "friendly" regime in Pakistan, even the one brought up as a result of a Khomeini style coup. Can Army stand this coup is a million dollar question? For now, let us focus on getting rid of the man.
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