Welcome to the Jungle
Pakistan is getting inundated in its own blood. The ongoing conflict in the country reflects at how there is no rule of law and that the country is now following the laws of the jungle. Benazir's assassination does not come as a shock to me. Yes, she was corrupt; yes, she was coming back as part of a larger American design; and yes, she was giving some horrific statement vis-a-vis Pakistan's internal security. Yet, I do not condone her murder! I denounce her killing and would like to throw caution to all those who may be saying to themselves "good riddance".
I have said it before, this is not the way civilized countries settle scores with one another. Bugti's assassination by the state (and it is quite clear who took out Benazir) was a clear indication of what extent the present dispensation was going to go to get their way. All those who supported Bugti's assassination must be thinking twice now. If you are still saying "good riddance" then I guess you have to wait till one such brutality hits closer to your own homes.
The "establishment" was never easy with Benazir coming back and it took a sinking Musharraf and American diktats for a marriage of convenience between the 2. The honeymoon had to end somewhere and it came to a tragic end with the brutal murder of Benazir. Had she not been killed, this unholy alliance of BB and Mushy would still come crumbling down after elections in a similarly dramatic fashion (perhaps even worse).
There is no doubt that Benazir's death comes as a setback for the US. There also is no doubt that all America has now in Pakistan to further its ludicrous cause of the "war on terror" is Musharraf. No prizes for guessing who is the winner in this tug-of-war. The question now that begs is: Does America have the patience to support an increasingly ambitious "establishment" (headed by Musharraf) that is now biting the hands that feed it? If this wasn't the last straw then I think we are certainly very close to it. The following few months will be very interesting (although all this is very tragic indeed).
The elections in Pakistan becomes very important now. I personally feel the elections need to be boycotted for many reasons. My number 1 reason was for the independence of Judiciary, which stands defunct at the ambitious hands of the present government. Today, my primary reason for boycotting these elections is because if the results of these elections turn against what the "establishment" wants it to be then we will see some seriously horrific consequences. With the way Musharraf (and remember he is just a face - there is a ruling "establishment" that has been holding everyone captive since the 50's) is clinging onto power do we really think he will easily digest results that are contrary to what he wants?
Let's not forget how the "establishment" reacted the last time an election went against them in the 70's. God have Mercy on us!
Addendum: Just as I almost hit the bed after posting this, I came across this news item from Reuters. This could be an insight into a possible motive for her assassination. As you may recall, the US Congress was already pretty ticked off at the misuse of US aid to Pakistan in the "war on terror".
I have said it before, this is not the way civilized countries settle scores with one another. Bugti's assassination by the state (and it is quite clear who took out Benazir) was a clear indication of what extent the present dispensation was going to go to get their way. All those who supported Bugti's assassination must be thinking twice now. If you are still saying "good riddance" then I guess you have to wait till one such brutality hits closer to your own homes.
The "establishment" was never easy with Benazir coming back and it took a sinking Musharraf and American diktats for a marriage of convenience between the 2. The honeymoon had to end somewhere and it came to a tragic end with the brutal murder of Benazir. Had she not been killed, this unholy alliance of BB and Mushy would still come crumbling down after elections in a similarly dramatic fashion (perhaps even worse).
There is no doubt that Benazir's death comes as a setback for the US. There also is no doubt that all America has now in Pakistan to further its ludicrous cause of the "war on terror" is Musharraf. No prizes for guessing who is the winner in this tug-of-war. The question now that begs is: Does America have the patience to support an increasingly ambitious "establishment" (headed by Musharraf) that is now biting the hands that feed it? If this wasn't the last straw then I think we are certainly very close to it. The following few months will be very interesting (although all this is very tragic indeed).
The elections in Pakistan becomes very important now. I personally feel the elections need to be boycotted for many reasons. My number 1 reason was for the independence of Judiciary, which stands defunct at the ambitious hands of the present government. Today, my primary reason for boycotting these elections is because if the results of these elections turn against what the "establishment" wants it to be then we will see some seriously horrific consequences. With the way Musharraf (and remember he is just a face - there is a ruling "establishment" that has been holding everyone captive since the 50's) is clinging onto power do we really think he will easily digest results that are contrary to what he wants?
Let's not forget how the "establishment" reacted the last time an election went against them in the 70's. God have Mercy on us!
Addendum: Just as I almost hit the bed after posting this, I came across this news item from Reuters. This could be an insight into a possible motive for her assassination. As you may recall, the US Congress was already pretty ticked off at the misuse of US aid to Pakistan in the "war on terror".
posted by al-republican at 9:10 AM
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