He is skinless, vulnerable and hunkered in a place - the Army House, the government residence of the chief of army staff - where he does not belong any more. Some of the vanquished and humiliated cronies, finding nowhere to go, have gathered around him and are trying desperately to bask in the fading glow of his vanishing power. Week-kneed among them have already shifted their loyalties or are busy licking their wounds in their kennels.
He, at least for now, has failed the see the writing on the wall which is clearly saying to him: get the hell out of here!
He is busy brooding and conspiring and scheming because he is not comfortable with the situation that has emerged.
He should give the parties that have won elections a chance to get to the meat of the things and focus to ameliorate the mess he has helped create in the eight years of his terrible rule. Rising food prices, the threat of terrorism, inter-ethnic tensions are the real and present danger. But he somehow seems bent upon adding to the woes by remaining in office and becoming a problem himself.
He seems oblivious to the fact that the lawyers' movement he managed to unleash by stepping out of the constitutional bounds has become a reinvigorated and revitalized political force. Media is vibrant and back with vengeance. Muslim League Nawaz is showing virulent aversion to serve under him. 63 judges dismissed by Musharraf as army chief with an executive order are waiting in the wings to be reinstated as victors have pledged. Six senators from Q League have already said that they would break ranks with the party and vote according to their their newly awoken conscience on coming motions. Even slippery Mushahid Hussain, the general secretary of the Q-League, has said he will vote to curtail the president’s powers to dissolve Parliament.
He thinks he still retains one powerful weapon handed to him under controversial constitutional amendments: to dissolve Parliament and dismiss the government; and the right to appoint and remove the top officials of the armed forces.
He should do a favor to Pakistan and its people and leave and let the elected representatives concentrate on the problems he piled up during the dark days of his rule before it is too late.
Would he?
No comments:
Post a Comment