THE SURVIVAL OF THE FEDERATION OF PAKISTAN

THE SURVIVAL OF THE FEDERATION OF PAKISTAN.
Pakistan has always been projected as a federal state, which it has never been in its 62 years of life. It has always been a highly centralised unitary state and run by a clique called establishment.
It is of no significance how does one define establishment? As a political worker I think that in case of Pakistan it is only and only the armed forces of Pakistan.
Basically there is no other institution in existence. The triangle of power and all others theories are for public consumption, whether they are in uniform or Jinnah cap but must have the support of this “only” establishment.
The civil beaurocracy is a subservient to the army and the army subsequently having close working relationship with Pentagon.
Since both derive its strength from the Punjab province, so it is considered as the bastion of power.
It is an utter dishonesty to confuse the public any more. I beg to disagree with Mr. Haroon Rashid blunt assumption that M.L. (N) mandate is stronger than PPP. Arguing if military would have not been involved against M.L. (n) the result would have been different. Can he show an example?
No election has been fairly conducted in Pakistan without the involvement of agencies, even the one conducted by Yahya. The gold and Guns were freely used in frontier and Baluchistan through an Afghan Parliamentarian.
It is on record that a military general confessed to Wali Khan, years later during Zia time and in his presence.
If Pakistan is confined to Punjab only then the claim of Haroon Rashid can hold ground but at the moment its mandate is regional and in practice behave in that way.
I would not hesitate for a moment to agree Javed Hashmi Sahib, the only celebrated democrat in PML (N); that gone are the days that one party will make a government in the centre, even if it gets absolute majority. There is complete breakdown of trust between the federates, as it was between East & West Wings of Jinnah’s Pakistan
The question frequently asked where does the Civilian leadership stand? Our journalists that they have to be, where they are asked to stand by our armed forces, they should create no shadow of doubt any more.
Even during the tenures of two most powerful civilian Prime Ministers, Z.A. Bhutto And Nawaz Sharif they had to consult first and then speak. The day they ignored the rule of the game, they met their logical end.
Broadly speaking Pakistan life history can be divided in three main phases.
1) From its creation to the take over by Ayub this was the tenure of conspiracies and civilian dictatorship with no constitution at all. The first casualty during this time was the dissolution of the provincial government of frontier government against the recommendation of British governor by Jinnah.
2) From Ayub to Musharaf was a naked Martial Law.
3) The above period was interrupted by two phases of civilian rules. The first one of late Z.A.Bhutto, followed by Benazir and Mian Nawaz. These were the periods marked by conspiracies, horse-trading with complete disregard for constitutions.
Let me clarify one point at this juncture that nowhere I have mentioned the word “democratic” in any article, honest to God that to me they were all civilian dictators. None of them had the slightest regard for democracy and human rights. Nor they could do any thing without prior permission of our Armed forces and their subservient civil beaurocracy.
To me these are worse than military dictatorship. It is ploy of Jinnah cap to rob people of their rights and divert the attention of the masses. It was always an open rape of democratic values.
In the last few years of Benazir’s life she grew up as a state person and weaned herself from her father’s cult politics and pursued her own vision but her voice was silenced before she could deliver some thing for the country and public.
If Pakistan’s survival has to be taken seriously then the reality on the ground should not be resisted. All our politicians should accept with open mind that it is a multi nations state. It must be delinked from the ideology of Pakistan. Pakistan resolution must be followed in words and spirit.
It needs a system and system with a federal and democratic constitution in true sense. Unless this is done and the quantum of power of each pillars of the establishment are defined; it will be impossible to hold the country. In present Pakistan is not viable State, it is insanity to dream of it.
If still some people like vicious Musharaf thinks that it is not 70 but 2009; then they should have a bit of common sense to realise that soon it would be 2010 for both sides. This is what we want to tell them that it is not 1972. Can they see the writing on the wall?
Every individual and Nation has the right to defend his survival by any means possible in the world and with the support of any one. That is immaterial when it comes to be or not to be.
No government can be given license to kill or do the cleansing of a nation. Gone are the days of rape of the Nations by military Juntas. World is a Global village.
Unless the role of different pillars is not defined, the doors are open to the encroachment on each other’s jurisdiction. Any opportunist and adventurist to derail the system can exploit the situation.
I am yet to be convinced that there was ever a movement in Pakistan for a democracy except two, that is the movement against Ayub khan and the recent movement of the Black coat community. The rest were all political Noora Kushti.
Another factor that is of utmost importance, it is not only the big parties that matter but the regional parties have assumed more significance and depth of vision. Their leaders and workers are politically more equipped and motivated. They are children of a process, not accidents
They must not be taken for granted but should be part and parcel of erecting a federal system. It is the system with the support of the regional parties, which can provide guarantee of the survival of the country. This is where I support the logic of Javed Hashmi Sahib.
The present Pakistan is extremely imbalance in its structure with the accumulation of all sources of strength in one federate. It is a lethal combination to disintegrate the country.
It is a waste of time and energy to keep on arguing that whether the present parliament is sovereign or not? Let us stop cheating ourselves that there has ever been a sovereign parliament in this country. We have to make one.
To argue is the exchange of ignorance and to discuss, is the flow of information. It is the flow of information, which is called knowledge. And one needs a bit of wisdom to apply the knowledge according to the objective conditions. The blanket statement could be disastrous.
We have to toe the line of the military for some time to come if the civilian government is left to mature and a system is established. In the circumstances prevailing in the region and globally; with the terrorist threat looming on world peace and the muscles of the terror has gained might; over the years it has changed the international scenario.
Those who matter in the world are under the dictates of their national interests to give more importance to the military establishments where the civil authority is not yet established as in the case of Pakistan.
Looking at the approach to the problem of Baluchistan, our leaders focus of mind is miles away of the target. They are putting the horse behind the cart as usual.
A clear line must be drawn between constitutional rights as a nation and their financial share in the kitty. The same is the case in Pukhtoonkhwa.
The Baloch leaders are asking for their constitutional, historical rights first to restore their national honour. They want that the government of Pakistan to show their intents on the ground. The package can be sorted out later.
Their stand is logical that without doing the first one first it will be political bribery or concessions. They are not asking for concessions but their national rights. To them their national honour is first than any concession.
In my view they rightly think that the litmus test of their national honour is; to bring all those to the court of law starting from Musharaf, the murderer, going retrospectively to the first invasion of Qalat in 1947, to stop military operation, compensation for internally displaced families and produce all those missing political workers.
Once they see that national rights are respected and cared for, and then they can sit to sort out their control on national resources.
They are not ready to fall in the trap of Pakistan to swap their rights for concessions. They are demanding not to mix up criminal acts of the establishment with their rights on their resources.
The very approach is totally wrong. If Pakistan claims that there is no military action in Baluchistan, then how they can justify Indian intervention in Baluchistan.
Pakistan has to confess that either they misleading the world opinion in foreign policy by blaming India, or they cheating its own public on domestic front. Pakistan has not much option.
The same tricks are being applied to Pukhtoonkhwa. Denying name to our Province in its historic perspective and as it is there in the name of Pakistan but we are asked to support them in 17th amendment or 58-2b.
As Hajj Ghulam Ahmad Bilour sahib expressed openly on ARY TV that the PML (N) is obstructing the quantum of provincial autonomy, the naming of the province and went to the extent that the Basher Bilour name was dropped for the slot of CM on the insistence of PPP.
The process of thinking can be judged and abundantly show the contempt of the two big parties for smaller nations. Their perception of the quantum of Provincial autonomy can be judged. It will be another exercise to do white wash in white house.
The million dollar question is, are the nationalist leadership ready to take the new head on assault? And are they alive to the political wrangling in the background?
The multinational countries have never been disintegrated by the bigger nations but it is always a small nation like Estonia that put the process of disintegration of Super Power, U.S.S.R.
Let us go for historical rights with the other small nations rather than to go for political concessions or bribery.
If these basic national rights are denied to us in Pakistan, is it worth living in Pakistan? Does it make any sense to fight a war of the integrity of Pakistan and convert our land in to dump of gunpowder for a country not recognising us?
Our national honour and the blood of our sisters, mothers, children, old and young’s are asking us this QUESTION? Is it my price that I am being sold?
BY. Dr. Khurshid Alam. Dated 20th November 2009.
Khurshidalam5@ hotmail.com