Re: Do People In Popular Leave Voluntarily?
Well, most third world politicians (or politicians anywhere) do not want to leave power. Unfortunately, their power base is people and they rely to hold to power using people (that includes armed forces). Normally, if they lose their power base amongst people, they can be kicked out of the chair by the chaukidaar of the prime minister or President house.
When GIK sacked Prime minister NS from office and court reinstated him, army decided to take resignation from both NS and GIK, as they feared that both in office would only going to make the country unstable (as both GIK and NS stopped trusting each other).
I am told that, when Army decided that Ghulam Ishaq Khan should resign, they went to President’s office and asked him to sign on the resignation paper. GIK started pleading to the army generals. He told them that he was part of establishment and thus their man. But unfortunately, Nawaz at that time had good support in the army. NS agreed to resign on condition that GIK also resigns. Thus, army wanted that GIK along with NS should resign too.
Thus, when GIK kept insisting that he is establishment man and should not be forced to resign, one general in anger told GIK that old man (well, what I heard he said, O Buddhay) are you going to resign or not, because if you are not, I will throw you out of the window and you will die just in front of the President’s house with all your bones broken (exact words could be more abusive). Thus, GIK was forced to resign.
When Yahya Khan was ousted and Bhutto took over as Martial law administrator and Gul Hasan (the real person behind forcing Yahya Khan to resign and brining Bhutto into power) took over as chief of army staff, Bhutto told Gul Hasan that with intellectual like him that can control the Pakistani donkeys and you having control over army, now we can rule this state of donkeys forever (what I am told that Bhutto said these words to one of the generals, I believe was Gul Hasan).
Gul Hasan did not agreed and result was that Bhutto when found opportunity, sacked Gul Hasan within few months of him taking post as army chief. Thus, probably Gul Hasan became the shortest general that served as army chief in Pakistan (probably 3 to 4 months).
Ayub Khan wanted to become King of Pakistan, but could not find enough support from the army and when unrest happened in the country; he left after handing power to the army (Yahya Khan). If army had agreed for Ayub Khan to become King, today we would have been seeing King Ghoar Ayub on the throne of Pakistan.
Even though there is no story or rumours about Zia in this respect, but with his action, it seems that Zia probably wanted to become Khalifa for life, wallah Alaam.
As for BB, she and her husband had different dreams. They were more after wealth then life time power. She can do anything for money. BB had experience of her father and knew that desire for life time power could not work in Pakistan, especially with very strong army in the country having mostly middle class officers, holding balance of power.
Thus her (BB) priority became exploiting power as long as in power, and thus to do corruption as much as possible, gathering as much wealth by looting and plundering this unfortunate poor country (Pakistan), transfer the money abroad, so that when her time finishes, she can move abroad and live as the riches woman (rather couple) in the world.
Nawaz Shareef in the beginning was amazed on his luck, pondering how this ganja lohar became Prime minister of Pakistan. What I have heard that in marriage function, one general saw him, liked him, then put his hat on the head of NS and declared that he would be future PM. Some laughed, while NS was astonished, but general told them that not to worry, all can happen in Pakistan, and he (general) would nurture this duffer, and eventually would grant him the post of PM.
Well, after becoming PM, in the beginning NS tried to do something as he was amazed, but power of PM got into his head and he started learning from BB that PM seat may come and go, but when time would pass, only money could help. So, this ganja also started doing mega corruption and gathering wealth. Then later, when army kicked GIK because of his demand, he started seeing himself as man from whom army is scared, and thus he can do whatever he likes.
Thus, when this Ganja became PM second time, he started thinking that why just do corruption, why not become the owner of whole Pakistan. He decided that he would never lose power again and would rule Pakistan forever. Thus, he thought of starting a new era Shareefa Khalaffat in Pakistan, in the footstep of Umayyad Khalifat, Abbasid Khalaffat, Ottoman Khalafat. If he had succeeded, Pakistan would have Shareefa Khalafaat now-a-days :)
Nevertheless, Ganja being uneducated, did not knew that never in history a dynasty was established by those that did not had military background or commanded a fighting force to grab power. Further, never in history a dynasty survived when their generals got upset with them.
Z A Bhutto was cleaver. He wanted to start a dynasty knowing that he had no military background, so he wanted to buy Gul Hasan loyalty. But this idiot Ganja kept a bad relation with generals and in the end, got kicked badly on his A*ss.
This Ganja idiot also did not realised that in a country like Pakistan where army is mostly from middle class background, such venture of humiliating army and trying to start a dynasty could not work. However bad, it is unfortunate that Pakistan army might overlook corruption, overlook abuse of power, overlook victimisation and oppression of opposition, but would not over look attack on them as institution.
*
In other established democratic countries, things are different. In these democracies, politicians as individuals are not ruling the country but it is political parties that are ruling the country. People along with armed forces (as individuals) are part of political parties and thus are stake holders in power, ruling the country indirectly. The strength of political parties comes from people (that includes armed forces).
So, when these democracies are not ruled by individuals (like Ayub Khan, Z A Bhutto, Zia, BB, NS, Musharraf) but political parties, and nation (that includes armed forces) being member of political parties are stake holders in power, there is no need (nor possibility) for army to take over.
In these democracies, if a politician changes party, even if that politician is the most popular politician in the party, that politician becomes zero for the party and no supporter of party would vote for that politician. For instance, if Bush change his party and become democrat member, no republican would vote for him. Thus, even if people (including army) can go against an individual because that individual is corrupts (BB and NS), party would still rule.
In Pakistan, there is no political party but politics are based on individuals. In Pakistan, individuals are party and people support individuals. Thus, loyalty of people (that includes army) could not be guaranteed, as they are not stake holders in the party, but individual politicians are stake holders and the supporters are donkeys working for those individual politicians.
In Pakistan, if BB joins TI, many of her supports would join TI. If BB shaves her head and start living bald, most pippilay would shave their head and would become proud to live with bald head. If BB starts walking naked on the road, many pippilay would start walking naked on road, and would feel proud of that.
This is what it is Pakistani political support. It is based on, no ethics, no morality, no principle, no honesty, no accountability, but Pakistani political supports is based on worshiping personalities and has mostly taken shape of cult, where people can kill others for their cult they follow and person they worship.*