An Hitherto Silent
Sargodha Housewife Blows her Top
If Army acts like
a Political Party, why not a Forward Bloc in it
Nighat
Yasmeen
THE
sordid state of affairs in Pakistan, the ongoing rape of the Constitution,
the compact shamelessness being displayed by certain quarters,
the depraved substitution of national interests with purely personal
ambitions, the meticulous dismantling of the institutions, the
total disregard for the people’s will, and a range of menacing
political developments, have left every sane person in this country
thoroughly dismayed, bewildered, clueless and wondering that to
which depths of decadence we are being shoved down by our khaki-clad
messiahs.
I firmly believe that every patriotic Pakistani has a duty to
warn that the nation is marching towards a precipice, whenever
he/she discerns such a risk. And never before I have felt a stronger
urge to rebel against the khaki hegemony, denounce their transgressions
and stand up to their inane games, as now.
Without intending to be impolite, it would be really pertinent
to raise an allegorical question: if politicians -- obviously,
here I mean fully civilian politicians -- as khakis want
us to believe, are prostitutes [albeit, my personal opinion is
that normally even whores are more principled than most of our
political leaders], then is it irrational, unpatriotic to look
around for their pimps?
Ask yourself, what is a bigger and more deplorable sin: to be
a prostitute or to be a pimp?
Thankfully, it is more than obvious now to all and sundry that
politicians are merely petty pawns. Masters of our destiny, responsible
for the mess, are not those who go around begging for votes. Legislating
assemblies, civil façade when it is there, elections, all
this is charade for placating international demands and an illusion
to dupe general public at home. The fate of nation rests in the
hands of a dozen or so, top, commanding generals.
Pakistan Army is the largest, mightiest political party in the
country, by any definition of the term. As its institutional stakes
and demands, regardless of political configuration in place, always
far exceeds than of all the other parties’ put together;
as the enormous trust people used to repose in it has time and
over again badly betrayed; and as the immense respect it once
enjoyed among masses has totally failed to satiate its extra-constitutional
aspirations; it must be considered and treated as a political
entity – subjected to all benefits and constraints of politicking.
Thus, why not a forward block in the army? I mean a group of senior
generals coming forward and announcing that they want to help
the COAS to transfer power to the civilian government. It would
be in order if they further declare that they are not doing this
to support any particular party for the time being and was not
under pressure either to support any particular party.
The decisive factor is the realization that it is treason, a capital
offence, to be a part of any military dispensation or to abet
it in any form. Adding, “we will extend support to any party
in keeping the greater national interest in view”. The political
process is in a state of a deadlock and "we want to remove
this deadlock for the sake of transfer of power and promotion
of democracy”.
In response to a question regarding leaving (the party, or resigning
from the army for the formation of the forward bloc), they would
say, "We are in the party and will never leave it. Pervez
Musharraf is our leader and will remain in the party."
[I have been very careful for not saying anything inappropriate
and therefore kept myself strictly to the comments uttered by
former PPP President Punjab, Rao Sikandar Iqbal and Faisal Saleh
Hayat, while addressing a press conference on November 14, announcing
the formation of a forward bloc].
Moreover, military personnel swear allegiance to the Constitution
and the motherland, not to any chief, no matter that happens to
be Ayub, Yahya, Zia or Musharraf. Loyalty must be to the kingdom
not to the king. Whatever benchmark, one may apply of duty and
patriotism, Pakistan MUST come first.
Hitherto, the martial party, has been engineering split in other
political parties, all the times by hook or crook, only to ensure
unhindered devouring of scarce national sources by its senior
members. Why not this tradition be reciprocated? The circle coming
full way. Those who have transformed coercion, bribing, deceit,
deception, falsehood, selfishness into art would never mend their
unscrupulous methods without tasting the medicine they themselves
have been administrating to this unfortunate nation for the last
fifty years.
Who bears the ultimate responsibility of horse-trading: the horses
or the traders? Will the coming generations forgive us for not
protesting and sitting idly by, and letting generals ruin the
country, perhaps beyond recovery.
Is this the God-damned ‘true, sustainable democracy’,
NRB had invented for us after three years of hard work and wastage
of millions of rupees? Is this the obnoxious ‘continuity’
General Musharraf had been so passionately chanting about? We
hoped for a departure from the filth of the past. General Musharraf
and his uniformed colleagues, along with a bunch of civilian fagots
– ever willing to serve anyone who can pay, are hell bent
to wipe out the very last traces of uprightness from the society.
It took 30 long years for our mighty Generals to realise that
the Pak Army committed “excesses” in the Eastern Wing
and [superficially] regretting about them. It might take three
more decades but sooner or later they have to lift the siege of
the remaining [truncated] part as well. The question is not if,
only when and how.
Just for putting the record straight, Musharraf’s so-called
favourite “silent majority” clearly voted against
him in the last election, all pre-poll rigging, manipulations
and gerrymandering notwithstanding. What more could we helpless
Pakistanis do?
The writer is a housewife, living in Sargodha, who refuses
to be a passive spectator anymore.
