Making Sense of Nawaz’s Madness Political problems need to be solved politically. Britain, while ruling India was an imperial power; hence it treated all political problems as law and order issues, to be dealt with administratively. The same has been the font of all governments in Pakistan, since the departure of the British; whether military or civilian. This government is adhering to the same legacy. Force, if required is used proportionate to the threat; and is escalated gradually, if deemed necessary. But in this case, Nawaz’s goons, euphemistically called the Punjab Police (mostly a collection of hardened criminals) went for the overkill, right from the word go. The peaceful protestors were duped to continue towards the parliament house, by ostensibly moving the police on the periphery of the marchers’ route. But it was an ambush – as soon as the protestors have moved ahead, their rear was blocked and the full force of the state was unleashed on the citizens seeking a redressal of their grievances. I have no brief for the PTI and PAT, but their workers had remained peaceful for the last fortnight; and did not deserve the violence visited upon a motley crowd including women, infants, old men and women. Later (Sunday) all TV channels showed footage of police brutality on media- men. Also shown was a Gullu-Butt like performance by the Punjab Police, damaging vehicles carrying food for the women and children. This is how a so-called democratic government is treating its citizens. A couple of days earlier, Nawaz requested the Army Chief to mediate to resolve the political impasse. The COAS duly complied with a caveat of registration of a FIR, regarding the Model Town killings in June. I guess that was the least he could offer to persuade Imran and Qadri to assent to talk with him. The FIR (though anomalous) was not registered. The next day Sharif back-tracked, for the reasons that: A- he realized that the FIR was a potential and existential threat to him and his brother. B- PPP’s leadership chided Nawaz for kowtowing to the COAS, without consultations with the former. C- COAS’ mediation had the potential to upset the status quo, which was crafted with great effort by both the PPP and PML-N, through the 18th and 19th Amendments. Subsequently Nawaz decided to use the brute police power on hapless citizens. For proper analysis or prognosticate of the situation, salients of Nawaz’s personality (for a better word) must be kept in mind. Nawaz is a megalomaniac and egoistic character who wants to be a Mughal Emperor. He is bereft of original thought, cogent ideas or decision making. He is impetuous and prone to irrational behavior – a fit case-study for psychiatrists. His history includes irrational demeanor in his interaction with the presidents and army chiefs of the yore. And do not forget his attempt to divert Musharraf, a sitting COAS’ plane to India in 1999. He is a master of conjuring crisis out of thin air. His vindictiveness knows no bounds – witness the police murders on his behest in Model Town. Had Sharifs possessed any shame they would have resigned by now – politicians have resigned for trifling alleged criminal demeanor (though not in Pakistan). He is as much a democrat as say Saddam or Hitler. He is the same Nawaz, who did not have the courage to take on the terrorists waging a war against the state of Pakistan; but he is a fearless leader to order the notorious Punjab Police to crush innocent women, children, elderly and youth. Nawaz’s power and hold are hemorrhaging fast. The conflagration ignited by him is spreading throughout the country. Nawaz is following a path of self-destruction. I think that if his brutality against the citizenry and now the media, fails to achieve the desired results; he is likely to use the following actions in descending order: a. Get Imran and Qadri arrested or assassinated. b. Initiate a sectarian war by defunct anti-Shia militant organizations, since both the Barelvi cadres of Qadri and his Shia allies are an anathema to the Deobandi-Wahabi organizations. c. Unleash the Punjabi Taliban cadres, being kept on ice in southern Punjab against the army; if he feels that army is going to move against him – shocking? But remember that Nawaz will go to any lengths to keep the Takht-e-Lahore. if Option c. above materializes, it is going to put Pakistan on the road similar to that being forced on Syria, Iraq and Libya; after all Nawaz is a protégé of House of Saud; and the Saudis are the clients of the Americans – helping them Balkanize one Muslim country after another. Nawaz might be deliberately trying to crest anarchy to facilitate the above-mentioned objective. Please note that the protestors were allowed by Nawaz’s goon to enter the Parliament House to confront the army troops face-to-face; because on 29th Aug the police contingent from the Parliament House was removed by Nisar, without informing the local army commander. This smells of a conspiracy to pit the army against the people to start a civil war. This scenario could well facilitate the ingress of ISIS type terrorists into Pakistan. It is not merely an alarmist comment – it is based on empirical observation. The people are asking, when would the army intervene to stop this madness? I am not privy to the thinking of the army; but the situation is rapidly regressing into potential anarchy and collapse of the state – and whatever the previous and present faults of the army, the army will have to; and will act to save Pakistan. A corollary to this is that at what point will the army act ? I feel that the army will reach a tipping point when the state is about to slide into uncontrolled anarchy. Because, any premature move by the army will only serve the purpose of Nawaz and his ilk; the former will be accused of backing the protestors and executing conspiracy against an “elected” government. This is the reason that I wrote in a previous write-up that, the COAS is on a slippery slope. Rest assured that if and when it comes to a choice between this iniquitous and illegitimate government and the state of Pakistan; then the army will be left with no choice but directly or indirectly intervene for Pakistan – any time and always.
Posted on: Tue, 02 Sep 2014 10:05:20 +0000
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