Font Size 
'Democracy, even if one finds it flawed, is better for Pak'
Published on Tue, Dec 04, 2007 at 22:43, Updated on Tue, Dec 04, 2007 at 23:03 in World section
Tags: Pakistan, IBNLive Chat
KINGMAKER, IS SHE? What awaits Pakistan in the days ahead depends a lot on how Benazir Bhutto takes the elections.
Within a fortnight, Pervez Musharraf has pulled off yet another coup of sorts in Pakistan; getting his election ratified by a Bench of handpicked judges; putting his own man as new Army Chief, allowing his political enemies to return home and shedding military uniform without a hitch.
Is Pakistan really on track to becoming a democracy again? Does Musharraf as a civilian President make any difference to Pakistan?
Rezaul H Laskar, PTI's Staff Correspondent in Islamabad, analyse the situation for IBNLive readers on our chatroom in an online chat on Friday. Here we reproduce the full text of the chat:-
Manas: Hi Rezaul, do we infer that the Emergency had been imposed to gain stability in Pakistan? I think Musharraf has been under pressure from the US over economic issues and leaving the chair would have been very uncertain for the future of Pakistan. What do u think about it?
Rezaul H Laskar: Hi Manas, most Pakistanis feel President Musharraf imposed the Emergency for one reason alone — the fact that the Supreme Court might have given an adverse ruling against his candidature in the October 6 presidential poll. He has since tried to bring things around to a position where he could be more in control, but giving up the post of Army Chief has definitely changed things.
Upamanyu: It's a known fact that most of the Pakistanis hate 'the West'. But we still see more and more Pakistanis opting to work/study/settle in the same West. Why cannot they choose a Muslim country? Please explain this paradox.
Rezaul H Laskar: Good question. But you must remember that many Pakistanis have settled in the West, including Britain, US and Canada, where they are important members of the South Asian expatriate community. So it's natural for younger Pakistanis to opt to study in the West. Also, having met some young Pakistanis in the two months that I have been here, let me tell you, they are just like young Indians. Most of them would prefer to study in the West. They have similar tastes in music, movies, art...
Upamanyu: Hello sir, a few days back we got to hear that many soldiers surrendered to the militants in Swat because they did not want to find their own countrymen. But now that we are told that the soldiers have launched a full-fledged offensive in Swat. Why this contradiction? What has changed the minds of the soldiers suddenly?
Rezaul H Laskar: Well, most of those who surrendered were from the paramilitary forces, which recruit more locals from the Swat region. Obviously, they did not want to fight against the militants, some of whom they may even have known personally. The Army was then sent in to take over the operations. But you must remember that the Pakistani Army has not been trained to fight insurgencies — its primary role was to tackle possible threats from India. That is why the US is apparently now taking steps to train the Pakistani forces for fighting militancy.
Valli: What do you think is better for Pakistan: a benevolent dictatorship or a flawed democracy?
Rezaul H Laskar: Interesting question. I think I would opt for flawed democracy. But then the final decision has to be made by the Pakistanis and we have to respect their choice. Please remember that many people had welcomed Gen Musharraf when he deposed Nawaz Sharif in 1999.
Jadav: Hi Rezaulda, do you think Musharaf as a civilian President will be successful? Will Benazir or Nawaz accept him as President?
Rezaul H Laskar: Well, Nawaz Sharif has already said that Musharraf will have to do much more than quitting as Army Chief. It will be difficult for any one to go very far without the backing of the Army. The new Army Chief, Gen Kiyani, is believed to be a non-political personality, but his backing will be key to Musharraf retaining his grip on power.
Rajeev: Hi Rezaul, this is Rajeev from Kolkata. What about press freedom? Has the Musharraf administration eased the controls on the media? What kind of difficulties are media people from other countries facing there?
Rezaul H Laskar: Hi Rajeev, an interesting situation prevails as far as the media is concerned. The print media is rather free to write what it wants. There has been considerable criticism of Musharraf. But it's a whole different ball game with the TV channels. Geo made a comeback today, but only via satellite. Many controversial anchors have been taken off the channels. Despite that, journalists here are a gutsy lot. They deserve respect for the conditions they are working in.
Tamal Mukherjee: Yo Rezaul, I was wondering that how much control does Musharraf have over Pak Army now? Is he still the de facto Army Chief of Pakistan and Gen Kayani practically work under him? Thanks.
Rezaul H Laskar: Gen Kiyani has given enough indications that he is very much his own man. He is also known as a thorough professional, but only time will tell.
Shilpa: Does Musharraf as a civilian President mean any difference from Indian perspective? I don't think Pakistani military is going to change its policy vis-a-vis India even under the new Army Chief. Your comment?
Rezaul H Laskar: Hi Shilpa, you have to keep in mind that things have changed dramatically between our two countries in the past few years. Many people may think the changes are not happening fast enough, but they are changing and mostly for the better. Despite that, complicated issues like Kashmir are not going to be settled soon. The Pakistani military will always be a factor, but the new chief is believed to be a non-political personality who wants to limit the force's role in politics. I think the elections — and the conditions they are held under — are more important than other factors right now.
Vinay Pathak: Under Emergency, does it feel like Taliban rule on Pakistan's streets or is it slightly better?
Rezaul H Laskar: Hi Vinay, this is the surprising bit. If you were to go to Karachi or Lahore or Islamabad, you would never feel this country is under Emergency. Things were different in the first few days, but it is all normal now. You could even go out for dinner in Islamabad as late as 11 pm and the restaurants are packed. Hope that answers your question.
Sunita Mehra: Do you think that the fact that Musharraf bowed down to Bush's demands in any way shows weakness on part of the former Army Chief? It also shows that Musharraf is perhaps not as stubborn as people make him to be. Maybe he is a little too soft.
Rezaul H Laskar: I personally think President Musharraf had few choices left. There are very few options left open to him. His talks with Bhutto have broken down and Nawaz Sharif has made it amply clear that he is not interested in a rapproachment right now.
Gowda: Hi Rezaul, I just want to say that I enjoy all the columns of yours in Indian dailies. You truly analyse situations before presenting them. You are a very secular person also.
| Related links: | |
Read Comment | Post Comment
Read more comment »