Another October approaches… (one being October 1999 when he was crowned…)

Nothing much has changed in the equation of the balance of power back in Pakistan. I must say, it has been seesawing quite a bit but with someone as innovative in design as our General President, he’s managed to carve a way to stay on top (for some more time) come what may. I do see that one thing commandos are taught is not to let go even in the worst conditions. I think he’s still a commando inside, old though.

The problem I have is with Benazir Bhutto coming back and the ‘deal’. Not sure what this deal means, I think whoever comes back will be in a position to siphon billions of dollars worth of monies out and drain Pakistan to another close death. Didn’t it happen early on? Were we doing any better when Benazir Bhutto was in office? I think we saw a very grim era when she was in power and the way Karachi was handled I think people just forget - it was a miserable and deathly situation. I recall that time and question, ‘We’re running on random access memory that reboots everyday or what?’

Pakistani politics is full of people who in any other civilized country would be behind bars and serving their sentences for their mischiefs. Not so in this country that was created in the name of Islam and in many ways we aren’t a nation of good Muslims. We are an angry lot who have no interest in putting things right and making a difference. The ones who do have some passion are stumped on where to begin and what to do.

I think the political end of General Pervaiz Musharraf is close to an end. We knew him as a tough General, someone who was brought to light by an act of stupidity on part of now twice deported well mandated Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who only God knows, thinks what, when he makes his move. I haven’t seen anyone so deprived of common sense and bright ideas.

He’s another story altogether and given that his ideas were to be Ameer-ul-Momineen of Pakistan, he’s in the right place right now - the number of Momineen visiting Saudi Arabia are tremendous - day in and day out. Why doesn’t Nawaz Sharif live a life of solitude, solace and thankfulness? He’s got an opportunity right at his doorstep. He could lead the Momineen of Pakistan if he becomes the best Momin of all - let’s give him that challenge.

President General Musharraf of today looks weak - I don’t like weak and neither do people who once supported him. He could have delivered a lot more than Benazir Bhutto - what hell goes on when you lose control? Do you go back on your entire strategy and do something that’s bottomless and close to political murder? Without being army chief, the General is no one. They would devour him, be he President of Pakistan or the head of PML-Q. Q standing for ‘Quaid’ - what a gimmick.

Pakistan will have a tough day when General Musharraf retires from the armed forces and stands down (a new army chief could mean change in our War on Terror (WOT) strategy and weak knees back in United States. He could be happy being President of Pakistan, but the reins of the game would lie elsewhere. We’ve seen so many a President being sent off, as and when required, one after the other. In politics and that of Pakistan, there are no guarantees!

(Unless, he’s playing a fool proof game and the next successor is going to play watch over the elected parliament and guard the predecessor and his interests.)

May be common sense would be to resign as President, announce elections under an interim government and boldly retire from the Army. I don’t see why this looks so bad? If the idea is to benefit Pakistan, let people choose freely, for at least once! Can’t the General make sure this is done cleanly? He can and he must.

I am happy to see the judges judging and some quality rulings, however, judgments need enforcement and when that doesn’t happen, there is no rule of law. With time, it all comes back to how it was - fear, anarchy, death, and disloyalty, change minds and sound judgment waits for a time when it could come forth, a time when people feel they wouldn’t be harmed. This is that time. People can speak and they can talk openly.

More than 60 years and we’re still struggling to grasp the idea of how to run a country. If everything we’ve tried has failed, I’d say, scrap this system and build a new one. Gulp, there I go again,… a good thought, but who’d bell the cat? Hush, hush.

Great leaders lead. I think our national agenda for the next 25 years should be education. Nothing else would set things right. It is possible, but someone must take initiative. Imran Khan said something I didn’t believe him saying, that only a Government could go into massive schooling, however, if he would think of it as a franchise, he could have achieved it.

Build profitable schools (with a new enriched curricula) in urban areas, and you’ll be able to fund everything you want done country-wide (offer the same education and quality to all citizens). Pakistan is a rich nation when it comes down to paying top dollar for our luxuries, education being one.
Nothing is impossible in life. You need passion.