Talibanization of Musharraf

Musharraf's Cadmean victory in Balochistan and the turmoil in its aftermath have so enfeebled him that he finds himself in retreat on every front. Some incurable optimists may call it a ruse. But name it a retreat or a ruse, in the process of his 'hocus-pocus manoevers', he has already become a Taliban. May be a grudging and reluctant one. But a Taliban is a Taliban.

First front he has retreated from is North Waziristan. After wasting two years, men and materials in pacifying the local Taliban he has signed a 16 clause peace agreement with them in which he has conceded more than he has received. The army has to pull out of the tribal areas; release all the militant prisnors; halt all ground and air operations; pay compensation for lost lives and properties; and let the foreigners stay. Tribal forces called Khasdars will replace army at the checkposts. All the Taliban, in return, have to do is stop running a parallel administration and accept that 'the writ of the state will prevail in the area'.

The person who has been instrumental in ending this conflict is the chief patron of the Taliban: Maulana Fazlur Rahman of JUI, his coalition partner in the governments of the restive provinces next to Afghanistan, NWFP (North West Frontier Province) and Balochistan.

The second front from which he has pulled a retreat is the National Assembly of Pakistan. Women can wait. So can Benazir Bhutto whose Pakistan Peoples Party, was helping him pass a bill called Protection of Women (Criminal Law Amendment) Bill. A special select committee consisting of ruling party parliament members and members of PPP had approved a draft. It was the very first item on the islative agenda of the National Assembly session slated to begin on Thursday. Then came the MMA's meeting in which the supreme council decided that Bugti's murder was not reason enough for MMA National Assembly, and provincial members to resign from their seats or to leave provincial governments as coalition partners. They would only do so however, they threatened, if the assembly passed the bill into law.

On Thursday the assembly did no such thing. Its speaker on a cue let, rather encouraged the members to indulge in internecine bickeringbly over Seraiki rights and influx of Gujrati employees into local governments of the districts of Seraiki Suba. They were alos free to speak on as many points of order as they desired; complain about the sale of human organs; tender their resignations from assembly seats and other such trivial matters.

The first item on the agenda never came up. The Big Chaudhry of Gujrat, Shujaat Hussain met with the Conquorer of North Waziristan, the Opposition leader, Maulana Fazlur Rahman and negotiated a deal with him to make another select committee consisting of eight people, four from government and four from MMA. The new committee would supercede the first select committee and override its draft and postpone the debate on the Protection of Women and let the Ulema decide if the bill was according to the Quran and Sunnah or not. And if not, then amend it to bring in line with the same.

At the same time, over a dozen parliament members of the ruling PML (Q) party were encouraged to come up with any of their reservations about the bill. Then it was leaked to the media that there were some other members of the party who had same kind of reservations but were not saying so publicly.

PPP that was enjoying their brief and short-lived moment in the sun and was anxious to kill two birds with one stone by helping the ruling party pass the bill into a law and put a wedge between the goverment and MMA was disturbed with this coup de grace said so.

Instead, Interpol warrants were requested to be issued for Benazir and her husband's arrests.

Another front from which Musharraf retreated was the provincial autonomy issue. The issue for which he had murdered Bugti and was threateneing to kill the other duo of the 'axis of evil' of Balochistan: Sardar Ataullah Mengal and Khair Bukhsh Marri.

On Tuesday, at the precise moment the Protection of Women bill was supposed to be brought up in the NA, a private member brought up, instead, the provincial autonomy issue. Dr Sher Afgan jumped at the opportunity provided and declared with all sloemnity he could muster that the provincial autonomy was "the need of the hour".

Now, while Musharraf is beating a retreat from every front, and becoming Talibanized by the minute, I am wondering what happened in the corps commanders' meeting the other day?