On achievements and impeachments
Yesterday, the coalition government announced their plans to impeach the President. In a joint communiqué, the leaders of the two main coalition parties held Musharaf responsible for all the present circumstances in which the country was.
The coalition government claimed they had more than the 295 votes needed to bring the “tyrant” down. While the country held its nerves anxiously awaiting for the press conference which was delayed a couple of times, the President himself initially delayed his visit to China and later cancelled it all together. The president is said to be occupied with more compelling issues at hand. Islamabad was the city of intense political maneuvering with the coalition parties having intense and heated discussions on how to move forward while the President called in his old hawks for consultations on how to avoid or overcome the impeachment. The city also held the core commanders meeting the same day.
The President office took the first move by ordering the reinstatement of the deposed judges of the Sindh. This was seen by the PML-N as an unwanted act and Nawaz Sharif left the negotiations citing irritation at the move. The PPP was also taken aback by the announcement from their very own Law Ministry while the Prime Minister said he had no hand in the reinstatement of the judges. The focus of the meeting shifted to the Prime Minister house, where the announcement was cancelled and the judges issue was “freezed” until further notice.
The negotiations went on late at night and it was announced that the joint press conference would be held in Zardari house the next day. During the press conference, the Co-Chairman of the PPP, Asif Ali Zardari read out a written communiqué to the press in which he blamed the President of being incompetent and the reason for all the ills facing the country.
The President declared that he would not step down and would face the impeachment and answer questions in the assembly. This is the first time in the history of Pakistan that the president is being impeached. Only time can tell what the result of this impeachment will be and what lessons will be learned by the politicians and the people.
Bad timing:
The opposition were quick to defend their master calling it a bad timing to impeach the president while the majority of the people welcomed the decision with reservations. At the press conference, a journalist asked the coalition leaders if they had “asked” the army and the US before taking this step. In reply Asif Ali Zardari quoted “Democracy does not listen but tells” whereas Nawaz took it as “a joke for the foreign powers to interfere in their domestic issues”.
With the government already interfering in the affairs of the army by trying to bring the ISI under its control may have the generals worried and make it harder for them to side with the government who does not wish to see the army having too much power.
On impeachment:
The President fits the impeachment as a glove if and only if the government and its allies are really sincere in impeaching him. The cases against Musharraf and his kings party are enough to bring him down and make him face the law of the land and possibly punish him. Musharraf can be made an example for the future generation and prove that law still exist in the land and all those who try to break it no matter who they are will have to face the court and punishment.
Some of the most compelling acts under which the President can be impeached are:
His involvement in handing over Pakistani nationals to the US in return for the dollars.
His actions against the students of Lal Masjid.
His misadventures in Kargil which resulted in the innocent deaths of many of the army jawans.
Overthrowing an elected government under the disguise of “Plane Hijack” plot which to this day has no footings. During his speech to the nation after some hours, he accused the government of destroying the government institutions and according to him the only institution still working and indestructible was the army and therefore the army had to take over to avoid the fate of other institutions. Since his doctorial rule, that very institute has also been eroded and destroyed by this man.
His policies, like that of his masters of “no-negotiations but bullets” has left thousands dead or wounded and brought the very unity of the federation at stake.
His abusive use of power which rests with the president are alone enough to impeach him. The president according to the constitution of Pakistan is bipartisan whereas he himself confessed to creating the PML Q to support each other. This kings party ruled for 5 years under his orders and made a complete mess of the country. The then Prime Minister refuses to come to Pakistan to face charges of corruption. The very man, Musharraf praised and made sure became the Prime Minister. So, surely the two had something cooking.
