Similarly, when the parity formula was thrust upon former East Pakistan and its majority population ignored, not only was the foundation of Bangladesh laid, but resentment heightened manifold in smaller provinces such as Sindh, Balochistan and North West Frontier Province (NWFP).
“Liaquat's murder strengthened civil bureaucracy in a way that
ultimately led to a military coup staged by Gen. Ayub Khan in October 1958,” says Tauseef Ahmed Khan, professor at Federal Urdu University, Karachi. “Again, it was a military dictator, Gen. Yahya Khan, who unleashed a genocide in former East Pakistan, culminating in the dismemberment of Pakistan in December 1971,” he adds. “When military dictator Gen. Zia-ul Haq sent Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto to the gallows on April 4, 1979, it constituted judicial murder, which eroded democratic ethos in Pakistan,” he says.
In the current scenario, the absence of Benazir Bhutto – she was assassinated in Liaquat Bagh on December 27, 2007 – hasn’t helped either. Had she been alive, Pakistan would probably have dealt successfully with the Taliban and curbed fundamentalism. These problems have now assumed monstrous proportions and threaten the very integrity of the fragile state. In the death of Benazir, Pakistan lost the civilian institution capable of confronting the army.
“Benazir had over the years cultivated a stature for herself in Pakistan and at the international level. Her sudden death plunged the PPP into severe leadership problems. Her tainted husband, Asif Ali Zardari, who got the reins by default, lacks the experience of Benazir, who commanded the loyalty of PPP leaders as well as ordinary workers. The PPP is far weaker today,” says Dr Hasan Askari-Rizvi.
Despite a massive military operation in South Waziristan in the aftermath of a successful operation in Swat, religious extremists continue to strike with impunity in every nook and corner of the country. They even have the gall to attack the well-protected General Headquarters in broad daylight. It is evident that the democratic PPP government lacks the strength to contain fundamentalism in the country.
Religious extremism has become so powerful that it now operates on a regional level and neighbouring countries such as India, Afghanistan and Iran are becoming its victim. On one hand, the civilian government finds it difficult to defend itself when non-state actors, in connivance with fundamentalist elements in the establishment, play havoc within and across the borders. On the other, rampant inflation is paving the way for discontent and anarchy. “Pakistan needed a strong and popular leader like Benazir for resolving India-Pakistan problems. The current leadership is too weak to take any bold step in its interaction with India. Their options have further been limited due to India's increased pressure on the terrorism issue,” says Dr Rizvi.
“Moreover, the PPP is facing a leadership crisis because Zardari has been systematically removing all Benazir aides from important party positions, causing much alienation in the party,” says Dr Rizvi. “The situation is bound to become worse as the government fails on all fronts.”
“Benazir’s killing undid the deal which was managed by the US between her and Gen. Musharraf,” says Dr Ahmed. “Her untimely death made Musharraf irrelevant. The new dispensation that emerged after the February 2008 elections is quite different in character from what it would have been had Benazir not been assassinated,” Dr Ahmed says.
With an uneasy relationship with India, Afghanistan and Iran and chaos at home, Pakistan seems to be heading towards the unknown.
“Liaquat's murder strengthened civil bureaucracy in a way that
ultimately led to a military coup staged by Gen. Ayub Khan in October 1958,” says Tauseef Ahmed Khan, professor at Federal Urdu University, Karachi. “Again, it was a military dictator, Gen. Yahya Khan, who unleashed a genocide in former East Pakistan, culminating in the dismemberment of Pakistan in December 1971,” he adds. “When military dictator Gen. Zia-ul Haq sent Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto to the gallows on April 4, 1979, it constituted judicial murder, which eroded democratic ethos in Pakistan,” he says.In the current scenario, the absence of Benazir Bhutto – she was assassinated in Liaquat Bagh on December 27, 2007 – hasn’t helped either. Had she been alive, Pakistan would probably have dealt successfully with the Taliban and curbed fundamentalism. These problems have now assumed monstrous proportions and threaten the very integrity of the fragile state. In the death of Benazir, Pakistan lost the civilian institution capable of confronting the army.
“Benazir had over the years cultivated a stature for herself in Pakistan and at the international level. Her sudden death plunged the PPP into severe leadership problems. Her tainted husband, Asif Ali Zardari, who got the reins by default, lacks the experience of Benazir, who commanded the loyalty of PPP leaders as well as ordinary workers. The PPP is far weaker today,” says Dr Hasan Askari-Rizvi.
Despite a massive military operation in South Waziristan in the aftermath of a successful operation in Swat, religious extremists continue to strike with impunity in every nook and corner of the country. They even have the gall to attack the well-protected General Headquarters in broad daylight. It is evident that the democratic PPP government lacks the strength to contain fundamentalism in the country.
Religious extremism has become so powerful that it now operates on a regional level and neighbouring countries such as India, Afghanistan and Iran are becoming its victim. On one hand, the civilian government finds it difficult to defend itself when non-state actors, in connivance with fundamentalist elements in the establishment, play havoc within and across the borders. On the other, rampant inflation is paving the way for discontent and anarchy. “Pakistan needed a strong and popular leader like Benazir for resolving India-Pakistan problems. The current leadership is too weak to take any bold step in its interaction with India. Their options have further been limited due to India's increased pressure on the terrorism issue,” says Dr Rizvi.
“Moreover, the PPP is facing a leadership crisis because Zardari has been systematically removing all Benazir aides from important party positions, causing much alienation in the party,” says Dr Rizvi. “The situation is bound to become worse as the government fails on all fronts.”
“Benazir’s killing undid the deal which was managed by the US between her and Gen. Musharraf,” says Dr Ahmed. “Her untimely death made Musharraf irrelevant. The new dispensation that emerged after the February 2008 elections is quite different in character from what it would have been had Benazir not been assassinated,” Dr Ahmed says.
With an uneasy relationship with India, Afghanistan and Iran and chaos at home, Pakistan seems to be heading towards the unknown.
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