Costs of keeping Musharraf for another 5 years

Shamraz_Khan · September 27, 2007, 2:24pm

Another 5 years of Mushrrafs rule will be a disastrous for the nation. The best thing he can do for the country now is to leave, and let the capable leadership take over & clean up his mess.

http://www.nation.com.pk/daily/sep-2007/27/columns4.php

Costs of keeping Musharraf

Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad
General Musharraf’s counsel says he would continue to remain the COAS if he was not elected as president. The question is can the country bear the cost of keeping him the military commander? Thank General Musharraf’s policies, the army has got itself alienated from the masses as never since the fall of East Pakistan. And this time not only in the smaller provinces but right inside Punjab, the major recruiting ground and conventional strong hold of the army. Even the conservative sections of the population who extended the army rule full support under Zia want it now to go back to the barracks at the earliest.
Slogans that indicated frustration with the army rule were raised in town after town during the four-month long lawyers’ movement. This had finally forced the government to order the stoppage of the live coverage of the protest marches.
After eight long years under General Musharraf Pakistan has become more ungovernable than when he staged the coup. There is no security in the country. The dividing line between the rich and the poor has widened into a gulf causing widespread bitterness and resentment against those who rule from the backstage. No one raises slogans against Shaukat Aziz, Pervez Elahi, Jam Yusuf or Arbab Rahim because they are seen to be no more than marionettes. Irrespective of whether they are politicians, lawyers, mullahs, or common people most put entire blame on Musharraf who continues to use the uniform as a coat of mail.
Military operations in the tribal areas and Balochistan have further discredited the army. When the troops shoot their own people they cannot hope to get bouquets in return. There are indications that the policy is becoming increasingly unpopular even among General Musharraf’s peculiar constituency. Many think that if he was required to be elected by the army he would lose the election.
Musharraf has failed as an army chief. He has pushed the troops into a quagmire in the tribal areas to fight a war they cannot win. On April 28 Governor Aurakzai said 1,400 troops had died fighting in Waziristan in about 100 military operations. During the last three months alone over 250 more have been killed. September has particularly been a deadly month.
While Corps Commanders continue to express confidence in Musharraf, the army is paying heavily in a most deadly operation against tribesmen who have been long praised for their loyalty. The writ of the state is now being challenged not only in the tribal territory but also in the adjoining settled areas like Swat, Bannu, Lakki Marwat and even as far as Charsadda. The seemingly unending war between armed groups in Bara has taken toll of scores of innocent lives while the state agencies look at as a helpless spectator.
Despite around 90,000 troops having been deployed along the border with Afghanistan, the militants have overrun large swathes of the tribal territory including South and North Waziristan. Kidnapping of troops has become a routine affair. The most prominent example is the surrender, without firing a single shot, of 250 soldiers including nine officers, who were on their way from Wana to North Waziristan. Incidents of the sort could not have happened without a willingness on the part of the troops to surrender. This speaks volumes about the state of morale among the troops.
Suicide attacks have taken an ominous turn as the militants are now targeting law-enforcing agencies inside their strongholds. Last November 42 troops were killed inside a training camp in Dargai. This was followed by attacks inside Kohat and Kharian cantonment. A police recruiting centre in Dera Ismail Khan and the Police Training College in Hangu were also attacked.
Early this month, militants conducted suicide bombing inside an SSG mess in Tarbela killing over 20 and injuring 42. Combined with the earlier killing of 10 SSG personnel and a Colonel in attack on Lal Masjid and 18 SSG men killed in Pusht Ziarat area of Shawal whose bodies were recovered through the intervention of Maulvi Roman, the prayer leader in Miranshah, these must constitute the largest casualties on the part of the SSG during both peace and war times since the creation of Pakistan.
The country is thus maintaining General Musharraf at an unbearable cost in terms of national integrity. There is time the policies are changed. But unless the man identified with them goes, there is little likelihood of improvement in the situation that can come through talks alone.
E-mail: [email protected]

Aalsi · September 27, 2007, 2:29pm