Pakistan : Dictators’ Heaven
By Dr. Hassan Isfahani • Jul 5th, 2008 • Category: Politics, Worth A Second Look • (4,146 views) • 13 CommentsNature, impotent and incompetent politicians, world powers, apathetic populace; all have their fair share of contributions in ensuring that Pakistan sees more uniformed rulers than the elected ones. The interesting thing is that during the realms of the dictators, things remained under the lid, and as soon as civilian regimes get a small window of chance to rule, all hell breaks loose, and within months of civilian rule, talks start about roll backing the democratic process.
Whether it’s Ayub Khan or Yahya Khan or Ziaul Haq or Musharraf, all have similar traits. They come with thudding sounds and promise stars and moon, and then they experiment with the system, and at the end when chaos starts getting out of hand and considerable damage done to the country, they submit themselves wholly to the external powers for their survival.
Ayub Khan became the favorite of the super power when he appeased their interests in the region and as a result unrest grew in the East Pakistan (Now Bangladesh), and years later we lost our half of the country. Ziaul Haq screwed the country for eleven years, and in the name of Islam he thrived and elongated his iron rule. Due to the Soviet Union invasion on Afghanistan, Zia became an apple of eye of the United States, and then the whole of Pakistan was teeming with Afghan refugees, Kalashnikovs, heroin and other types of drugs.
What happpend to all of them? Ayub Khan went after he was humiliated from Karachi to Khyber and when Ayub heard his own grandsons chanting slogans of “Ayub *uta Hai Hai”, he quit. He has some shame and dignity left in him. Ziaul Haq’s was helped by the nature (or was it something else?), and he also left the scene, and his leftover modesty was also saved to a little extent.
Pervez Musharraf, the general also appeared on the horizon with all the pomp and fervor in the world. His promises of good governance and a better Pakistan were all too familiar, yet the gullible Pakistanis welcomed him. His biggest blunders for himself (and a boon in disguise) for the country) in his over confidence was to allow private t.v channels. These channels played a pivotal role in raising awareness about democracy, justice and the good governance in the masses, and never before in Pakistan, people hate dictators so much as they do now.
State Terrorism is what defines the Musharrafian era in Pakistan. After messing with the Kargil issue, he staged the drama of his plane hijacking and couped the Prime Minister. Then he staged a referendum and got himself elected, and which he himself admitted as a farce. Then he started strengthening his reeking brainchild, the motley of lotas, PML-Q. He then murdered Akbar Bugti, and the operation on Lal Masjid also went to his “credit”. He also attacked the justice system of Pakistan, and astonished the civilized world with his brazen act of imposing emergencies and using force to torture judges, lawyers and civil societies and who doesn’t know about the missing people and the price Musharraf received.
Musharraf was thoroughly defeated on 18th February, but then due to compromises and expediencies of the ruling party of late Benazir Bhutto, Musharraf seems to have got second life. This is very ominous for the country. It’s time that PML-N, JI, TIP, other parties of APDM, lawyers, civil society and the silent majority converge at one point and strike hard at the core of evil with full might once and for all at the core of evil to save the country.
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Dr. Hassan Isfahani
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July 5th, 2008
We are unable to produce leaders with lion hearts because dictators never let the democracy flourish in the country. The most disdainful of the all dictators is Musharraf. He has snatched the morale of the people.
July 5th, 2008
We learn from history that self-made despotic rulers follow a standard pattern.
In gaining power:
* They exploit, consciously or unconsciously, a state of popular dissatisfaction with the existing regime or of hostility between different sections of the people.
* They attack the existing regime violently and combine their appeal to discontent with unlimited promises (which, if successful, they fulfill only to a limited extent).
* They claim that they want absolute power for only a short time (but “find” subsequently that the time to relinquish it never comes).
* They excite popular sympathy by presenting the picture of a conspiracy against them and use this as a lever to gain a firmer hold at some crucial stage.
On gaining power:
* They soon begin to rid themselves of their chief helpers, “discovering” that those who brought about the new order have suddenly become traitors to it.
* They suppress criticism on one pretext or another and punish anyone who mentions facts which, however true, are unfavorable to their policy.
* They enlist religion on their side, if possible, or, if its leaders are not compliant, foster a new kind of religion subservient to their ends.
* They spend public money lavishly on material works of a striking kind, in compensation for the freedom of spirit and thought of which they have robbed the public.
* They manipulate the currency to make the economic position of the state appear better than it is in reality.
* They ultimately make war on some other state as a means of diverting attention from internal conditions and allowing discontent to explode outward.
* They use the rallying cry of patriotism as a means of riveting the chains of their personal authority more firmly on the people.
* They expand the superstructure of the state while undermining its foundations—by breeding sycophants at the expense of self-respecting collaborators, by appealing to the popular taste for the grandiose and sensational instead of true values, and by fostering a romantic instead of a realistic view, thus ensuring the ultimate collapse, under their successors if not themselves, of what they have created.
This political confidence trick, itself a familiar string of tricks, has been repeated all down the ages. Yet it rarely fails to take in a fresh generation.
By Hart
July 5th, 2008
Anything which is obtained by force is bound to retaliate with force to the occupier, and that’s what happens to dictators.
July 5th, 2008
There are some exceptions. Napoleon was a dictator, and there is nothing like him. Though I understand that comparing Musharraf with Napoleon is like comparing pony with lion.
July 5th, 2008
We neither need leaders with lion hearts nor tiger brains or for that with any of animal characters or traits. We are humans and need leaders who are endowed with plenty of human decency, a sense of public service, honesty, dedication, and humility. Any ‘leader’ with animal properties belongs in a zoo and should be locked in there with plenty of ‘badam ka halwa’ and ’sripai / nihari’ and couple sycophants.
July 5th, 2008
impotent and incompetent politicians that’s the way you started with your article, Dr.
After this there is not much left to comment about your article. This is more than self explanatory, nobody likes to be ruled by dictators but what choice is left for us then, Nawaz Sharif ( I wish he had last time said yesterday Pakistan is breaking and I pray to God he must die before he is going to say this thing again) and Zardari ( who says the relations between India and Pakistan is more important than Kashmir).
PERVEZ MUSHARRAF WE REALLY NEED YOU UNTILL AND UNLESS ALL THE ENEMIES OF PAKISTAN DEAD
July 6th, 2008
Ayub Khan went after he was humiliated from Karachi to Khyber and when Ayub heard his own grandsons chanting slogans of “Ayub *uta Hai Hai”
Ayub Khan left seat after hearing above slogans…What about Musharraf? I myself heard, how people used words for her daughter, wife and mother but he is still sitting in Army House as ShameProof man of the World.
Baysharam Ka Aik He Naam…. Musharraf.
July 6th, 2008
Aftab, I wonder, if one of us becomes a leader of the nation, how we will fare? It is easy to judge from the distance and not realize what these “good or bad” leaders of Pakistan go through.
I believe this tells a lot about a person that can only focus on the negative and see nothing positive.
July 7th, 2008
My dear Doctor Sahib,
Sorry for addressing you a bit formally as ‘Doctor Sahib’ in reply to being addressed by my first name (which is friendly!) since you use a ‘nom de plume’ and calling you alshaer is a little funny to my taste.
Now, it is difficult to comment on the speculation about our performance had we decided to opt for such a role, it is too hypothetical. However, I personally do not have any illusion about the hardships (what you have approximately termed ‘what they have to go through’) involved in managing the affairs of a nation / country. Of course, it is a horrendously demanding job and we the people are not compelling anyone to accept this responsibility. My point is if one is not fit for this job, either by temperament or training [(here I include all the qualifications in inclinations – the absolute ‘Gold Standard’ – you know the personal integrity and sense of purpose, the ability to cope with stress, the willingness to put the national interest above personal interest, the ability and willingness for public scrutiny (the Omer Farooq Standard! and certainly other Caliphs and Companions of our Prophet)] lacking these character traits one should not aspire or vouch for such a difficult job, nay, for such a sacred responsibility. But, if you, me, or anyone wishes to be there then the rest of us have every right to demand excellent performance.
Coming to your statement regarding the character of “a person” who focuses “only the negative” . Here we are not talking about people who do not have a history and being judgmental in anticipating negative outcome; we have a record of their performance and also their failings, and their corrupt past. Now, based on these facts if we still try to convince ourselves that one may hope that this time around they will behave different than their past. You are a doctor, say, does personal history play a role in prognosing a person’s future behaviors?
There might be another question arising here, what should be done in our present scenario?
The common sense would dictate following options:
(1) Lets have an honest ‘Truth and Reconciliation’ process which must be honest and sincere, all of these present players come to us, the people, and confess, show remorse, repent, and beg for our pardon. Pardon be granted, get on with the job.
(2) All the present player / actors in this national drama must go through clearing their conduct / records from an independent commission comprising those ex supreme court judges who never compromised with any tyrannies (military or civilians) and left on principles with their head high. Those not cleared must be prepared to face the music as prescribed.
(3) They all, without any exception, not a single one, must be forced to stay out of public life without any role whatsoever. Thus clearing an open and clean field ( the ‘tabula rasa’) and the such new people with fresh resolution and sincerity of purpose must come forward and we may be pleased to look at them ‘positively’ with only ‘positive’ expectations.
It will be difficult process but not impossible and I am more than certain that if undertaken with honesty the people, explained and informed properly, will support it and it will work.
Call me optimist!
Best.
July 7th, 2008
Dear Aftab Bahi,
I sincerely appreciate the way you try to address issues. I was not expecting a long essay (do not take my words negatively by saying “essay”) from my brief comments. You have brought up a lot of issues and to be fair to you, in most part, I do agree with your assessment and conclusions.
First let me address this issue of my “name” to you. As you must be aware that “dr alshaer” is a nom de plume just to protect my identity here on the Internet. The pen name of dr alshaer was given to me by my Palestinian friends and in way does it imply, that I am a poet…:) (maybe an aspiring one but let’s not go there) Nor do I have need to be addressed as a “doctor” though I am by profession a surgeon. I know it is typical in our society back home to be addressed by titles but being brought-up here in the West since the mid-60’s, I am not accustomed to being called a doctor other than by my patients. Back in Pakistan, I would be addressed as “one to be served” and no way am I worthy of that title. I am just a humble man trying serve humanity, the best I am able to.
Now let’s go the other issues that you so eloquently addressed. I am in no disagreement with you on the qualities of a leader. In an “ideal” world, we would have more just people, that lead us, but we must be realistic in our expectations. We sometimes forget, in the case of Pakistan, that the country is still new to the idea of understanding its position in the world; especially for the idealistic and passionate Pakistanis.
We still are struggling with the legacy from the British and now the Americans have their own agenda that has further confused the leadership of the country (along with its masses). No doubt we, have our share of corrupt leaders that are filling their coffers with ill gained assets in the name of trying to do “good”. Now is it fair to say, that Pakistan does not have “just and fair” leaders that are trying to makes changes for the betterment of all and not just themselves? I sincerely believe we do. The question should really be addressed as, are they being given a fair chance to govern, and that I believe they are not.
For now, I will end this response to you here. I must get some sleep and I will take time to address the other issues another time.
I have hope and pray that the people of Pakistan and its leadership will pass through these dark times. My prayers are with you all. May God help us all.
All the best!
July 7th, 2008
I bear rpeating it here that Pakistan is a unique country in the world; owing its geo- strategic location; the culture, the religion Islam that majority of people claim to follow but Islam is seen no where. The general standings of the nation and ambitions; all are very incomparable.
The Pakistanis have their distinctive character to behave as masquerades; while wearing the face of humility and priestly garbs; they are seen good at stabbing in the back; but pity is that most of the time the victim of stabbing are not people and Pakistan’s foe; but our home land it self.
This is the only reason why our foes and other oppressors let Pakistani survive that we are very good at doing the jobs for others; as proxies with un-dithering resolve. These happens to be the top traits. So people always hire us as a nation and we get paid. We also work as individual and group also; like in Baluchistan to act as Baluchistan liberation forces and get paid. The sindhu desh business in Sindh and get paid from RAW. Uncle sams perks in FATA and NWFP to act as decoy terrorist. Turning mosques into armed bunkers and use the boogie of Sharia law; challenge the writ of state at vim and claim an instant grab of power. How happily; we pocket all the perks and monies. The opulence and power, we are loving it.
Do not quarrel that Zia was a bad dictator or BB+ Zardari fled away with huge sums. Nawaz sharif took all the possible investments out and built a huge steel mills in Jeddah Saudi Arabia while posing to public that he was forcibly exiled by dictator Musharraf. Sheer hypocrisy; [sub maiya hey]; two faced peoples all the times! Every leader; every effective post in Pakistan is decided in Washington. [Jo pia mun Bhaey] There is no need to curse them. Can any one possibly curse, whose conscious is asleep.
And every time we come across people; seen demanding the privileges and benefits from Pakistan; is there any one who is serving this country also?
July 8th, 2008
Dear Poet Doctor, see, if following makes sense regarding political leadership.
By the way, is dealing with other people’s pains and sufferings not in itself ‘poetic experience’? I guess what I am trying to say is the fine arts of helping those who need your help must be an enriching experience raising the practitioner to the level of a sensitive poet and artist, a philosopher. Enlightenment me, please.
Kindest.
Aftab S. Alam Says:
July 4th, 2008
Salaman Magsi Sahab, in my opinion anyone who wishes to be in any public office, elected or selected, must be driven by a sense of public service; success or failure becomes irrelevant as long as the individual is motivated by a sincere desire to serve the public interest.
July 8th, 2008
Aftab Bahi,
I have been quite busy, and leaving shortly to the hospital.I read your post last night. Upon my return later today, I will share some thoughts with you and others here.
I am proud to know Pakistani’s like yourself and A Khoka. Keep up the excellent work of guiding others here to think clearly.
All the best!