Editorial
Pliant judges help Musharraf cling to power
International pressure to persuade him to restore democracy must succeed
Pakistan's recomposed Supreme Court has finally given General Pervez Musharraf what he has craved all these months. Through a blatant display of political opportunism, the general has dismissed the judges who had given him a hard time. His regime has carted off hundreds of political workers to prison through putting the state of emergency to convenient use.
Lately though, some of them have been released by the government to put up a brave face. And now the military leader appears to be mulling over the advisability of withdrawing the general amnesty earlier granted to former prime minister Benazir Bhutto since the latter has of late been getting increasingly strident in her criticism of the president's actions. Bizarrely, the highest judiciary, in a perfect demonstration of submissiveness, has thrown out all the petitions earlier filed against his being president of Pakistan and chief of its army at the same time.
There is hardly any question that Pervez Musharraf has the support of Pakistan's army behind him. It is quite inconceivable that he could have done what he has done in these past few weeks without the support of the men he commands. In that,he is luckier than the country's earlier military rulers. Both Ayub Khan and Yahya Khan were compelled to quit when the military withdrew its support from them. Ziaul Haq of course died a horrible, mysterious death.
So Musharraf's sudden reassertion of authority is a break with the old tradition. And yet that ought not to persuade anyone that Pakistan is on secure ground. One of the biggest ironies of Pakistani politics today is that while Musharraf acquires all the trappings of a ruthless strongman, his country gets to be weaker by the day. The detention of politicians, the beating and arrest of journalists, the closing down of private television channels are all means of belittling the state. Small wonder then that Pakistan has been haemorrhaging badly since Musharraf imposed the emergency.
Pakistanis now need all the support they can get from the international community in their efforts to reclaim their country from Musharraf and his friends. The western powers will be disappointing everyone if they do not keep up and increase the pressure on Musharraf to take the country back to the pre-emergency situation and hold free, fair and credible election. Until the Supreme Court is re-instated and public liberties are restored, Pakistan will remain the plaything of the men now running the show in manifest illegality.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.
Comments