PAKISTAN’S former prime minister, Benazir Bhutto, could soon be facing the
same corruption charges that have forced her into exile for 8½ years.
The country’s attorney-general has told The Sunday Times that a government
amnesty lifting the charges – which enabled Bhutto to return to the country
last month – was legally invalid and is likely to be overturned. Five writs
have been issued against it in the Supreme Court.
“I don’t think it will survive the challenge,” said Malik Muhammad Qayyum.
“Whoever drafted it, it was not happily worded. Only the courts can decide
to throw charges out, not governments.”
The threat, which allies of General Pervez Musharraf are encouraging him to
use against Bhutto, comes as Pakistan’s military ruler faces mounting
domestic and international pressure over the state of emergency that he
imposed 15 days ago.
Bhutto has convened a meeting of opposition leaders at her Karachi home on
Wednesday to discuss boycotting the elections set for January and launching
a nationwide street movement for the restoration of democracy.
“I’m reaching out because we need to put together a coalition of interests,”
she said yesterday. However, any such strategy is hampered by years of
mistrust between the parties, the arrest of leaders such as Imran Khan and
the heavy-handed crackdown by police on any attempts at protest.
The international community has also stepped up its pressure with a visit to
Islamabad by John Negroponte, US deputy secretary of state, who delivered
what US officials described as “a strong message”, urging Musharraf to lift
the state of emergency and take off his military uniform.
He also expressed US concern over the dismissal of the chief justice and other
Supreme Court judges and the arrest of more than 3,000 lawyers and
activists. Bhutto claims the numbers are higher and that 12,000 members of
her Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) have been locked up.
Last night Bhutto accused the West of continuing to bail out Musharraf: “Even
though the people of Pakistan have risen up, our media have been shut down,
judges and lawyers are behind bars, yet still the international community is
reluctant to let go of General Musharraf. It’s time they looked to the
wishes of 160m people rather than just one man.”
She added that she had told Negroponte in a phone call on Friday night that
negotiations with Musharraf were “no longer on the table”. She added: “I
said to him that as far as we were concerned we had a road map towards
democracy and suddenly found ourselves on a road leading back to
dictatorship.”
Bhutto had been released from house arrest in Lahore on the eve of
Negroponte’s arrival on Friday. Musharraf also allowed some private TV
channels back on air but two of the biggest, Geo and ARY One World, both
based in Dubai, were shut down again yesterday.
Musharraf is expected to step out of uniform within the next 10 days once the
newly pliant Supreme Court declares his election as president valid. But he
is defiant on the issues of the emergency and the judiciary.
“I don’t take ultimatums from anyone,” he declared in a series of interviews
he gave to seize back the initiative from Bhutto.
In what is degenerating into a poker game, with Musharraf, Bhutto and the
United States all trying to outguess each other, it is not clear who holds
the strongest cards.
Pakistan would not like to lose US aid, which has amounted to £4.9 billion
over the past five years, much of it going to the army. As a former commando
used to war-gaming his adversaries, Musharraf is banking on the belief that
the United States needs him more than vice versa.
In a clear reminder to Washington that they are not the only ones able to make
threats, Musharraf warned that Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal was safe only
while in the hands of the military.
Those close to Musharraf insist that he truly believes that he is doing his
best for the country and cannot understand western criticism. At a ceremony
on Thursday to dissolve parliament ready for the elections, he said: “I take
pride in the fact that, being a man in uniform, I have actually introduced
the essence of democracy in Pakistan.” He added sourly: “Whether anyone
believes it or not.”
Ironically it was the first time in Pakistan’s history that a parliament had
completed its full five-year term, even if it was under a military ruler.
The Pakistan post office issued a commemorative stamp showing the parliament
building, although without the barricades now in front of it.
The concertina wire and some bored-looking police blocking off Constitution
Avenue are the only real signs of the state of emergency in the capital.
Behind the wire lies the Supreme Court, the focus of Musharraf’s ire when he
suspended the constitution. Although he claimed to be acting to save the
country from extremism, his main objective was to preempt a Supreme Court
judgment that was expected to invalidate his reelection as president and to
attack “judicial terrorism”.
Inside the court’s cool marble walls, Qayyum admits that he is facing one of
the most difficult weeks of his life. He will be defending the president’s
eligibility for office and giving his opinion on the emergency. He added
that political motives would play no part when discussing challenges to the
Bhutto amnesty, which will be heard by the Supreme Court once it has ruled
on the legality of the emergency.
“Before Bhutto came back the president had directed me to defend it to the
maximum, but now I’m not sure what the stance will be,” he said. “The thing
is, they erred in drawing it up.”
Bhutto said last night she was unconcerned. “I don’t care about the cases,”
she said. “I care about the future of my country. If the court wants to take
it up again, all right, let them take it up.”
Both Bhutto and Musharraf have ruled out any hope of reviving the deal that
led to the amnesty after almost a year of negotiations. That the amnesty was
drawn up in a manner that would be hard to defend may have been a deliberate
strategy, as evidence emerges that Musharraf was never really serious about
the US-backed deal.
Instead, it seems, he saw it asa means to break up an alliance between the
leaders of Pakistan’s two largest parties: Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif, the
former prime minister who heads the Muslim League.
“It was a deliberate strategy to prevent the opposition uniting and she fell
for it,” said Chau-dhry Shujaat Hussain, leader of the ruling PML(Q), which
backs Musharraf. “It broke up her alliance with Nawaz Sharif and also
stopped Bhutto’s MPs’ boycotting his [Musharraf’s] reelection as president,
which would otherwise have been invalid.”
For all Musharraf’s bravado, there is a mounting sense that he is boxed in
with nowhere to go. Islamabad over the past week has had the air of the
final days of Rome. Official farewell functions for the outgoing government
have been followed by private parties late into the night, where ministers
and pop stars have mingled. Musharraf himself appeared at wedding parties in
Islamabad’s two best hotels.
At one late night do, Hussain said he was confident that his party would
trounce Bhutto’s PPP at the polls. “The West may be obsessed by Bhutto, but
the reality on the ground is very different from the international reality.
What matters here is candidates. Bhutto does not have those,” he said.
Hussain, whose family controls an important part of the key province of
Punjab, hates Bhutto, blaming her late brother Murtaza for assassinating his
father. He persuaded Musharraf to announce elections for January 9, arguing
that Bhutto would not be ready for them.
Others in the cabinet were less sure. Those from the North West Frontier
province wanted the elections delayed, pointing out that it will be
impossible to campaign in the current climate. The past few months have seen
pro-Taliban militants moving down from tribal areas into settled parts such
as the mountain holiday resort of Swat, where hundreds have been killed in
fighting that has raged since July.
All agreed that they needed Bhutto to contest the elections, as otherwise they
would have no credibility. One of her own former ministers, Faisal Saleh
Hayat, who switched support to Musharraf in 2002, recalled: “She always said
her biggest mistake was to boycott the 1985 elections [under Pakistan’s last
military dictator] as that left the field open for others. She won’t make
the same mistake again.”
Bhutto insists that free elections will be impossible under the state of
emergency, particularly after the appointment of a caretaker government on
Friday which consists largely of supporters of the ruling party.
So far there has been a surprising lack of public protest although this may be
due to the media blackout and a huge clampdown by police.
The great unknown is how the army feels, particularly General Ashfaq Kayani,
Musharraf’s deputy who will take over when he steps down. The Sunday Times
has learnt that Kayani took part in the decision to impose the emergency at
a meeting that was called after two Supreme Court judges, Abdul Hameed Dogar
and Muhammad Nawaz Abbasi, provided information that the bench would rule
Musharraf’s election invalid.
Musharraf
denies he is a dictator
It was perhaps for the first time Pakistan had an honest leader like Gen.Musharaf in her entire history.He turned Pakistan from a failed state to a reasonable ecnomically viable state.
The problem that has been there through out is that Westren yoke has always been on its neck.Educated Pakistanis feel more at home in London than in Lahore.They fail to understand the geo political intrest of the west in Pakistan.
I am also wondering why West is backing one of the most corrupt woman in order to look after its intrests where as they already know that popularity of United States hovers around 15% in Pakistan.
I think the real reason the Gen.Musharaf is being pushed out is because of purposed Oil Pipe Line between Iran Pakistan and India in which Pakistan is the most intrested Party and stand to gain most out of this deal.And this Pipe line is against the westren intrests.
I think if Ms. Bhutto is wise She must go back to London.
O.Singh, Windsor/Chandigarh, Canada/India
Military rule has never given any benefit to Pakistan in the long run. There is only one solution to Pakitan crisis i.e continutation of democratic process and Islamic rule based on justice, independent judiciary and independent media. If people are the one who elect corrupt leaders, they should be the one to bring them down in the process.
Injustice is the root cause of the terrorism, whereever it may be. The mishandling / excess use of force in "Lal Masjied " issue in Islamabad and the barbarism in killing of number of innocent men and women, boys and girls, who were mostly from poor families having insufficient resources to feed their children and educate them, have caused futher unrest in Pakistan. Pakistan is a country most of its habitants are moderate, peace loving people. Problems, if any, any where need to be solved through negotiations. Only a govenment elected by people of Pakistan can do this.
Ahmed, Riadh, KSA
Musharraf is not honest with the people of Pakistan and he is now blackmailing the American by saying"the Nukes are safe in his hands". The nuclear programme is safe with any pakistani in power, it is our security to maintain peace in the region. Musharraf has infact place this in danger by using this as a threat. He is not working in the best interest of Pakistan,it is the opposite, he is hell bent on destruction. Pakistani Generals have always created situations to endanger the pakistani nation(e.g) lost East Pakistan, gave us the Klashnikove culture and Talibans, MQM a terrorist criminal Altaf Hussain, now living in U.K and now probably civil war if Musharraf continues on present path.They are power hungary Generals, ligning their pockets together with Land and drug mafia dressed up as politicians in the image of Shujatt Hussain & Pervaiz Ellahi (chief Minister in Punjab). One only has to look at ground reality when you land at Islamabad Airport to realise that they have taken all.
Shams, london, england
Benazir is a gifted Opposition leader (but a disaster when she is a premier) , her actions have convinced the dictator that his ice is not going to melt with her , she can create more trouble for him than he can imagine. She played her cards excellently when she paved her way into Pakistan on the reccommendations of west , the west forgetting she is charged for embezzelment of finances. Of course the west can understand the interests of pakistan more than that substandard soldier who has usurped the country ( sarcasm). swiss government has stopped delivery of air defence equipment to pakistan , external debt has risen 1.5 billion dollars in last 2 weeks , foreign investment has taken a big flight out of karachi stock market , Altaf hussain known criminal is party to government , imran khan who never took anything from the nation is languishing in jail under treason charges
shahid kundi, dublin, ireland
General Musharraf is unpopular because he is deemed too pro west (you know the ones that used Pakistan as a jumping off base to sponsor the Islamic fascist Mujahadeen including one Osama Bin Laden in order to draw the USSR into invading out of fear of having their central Asian missile bases over run by Jihadis; in order to bleed the USSR, steal its oil/ gas to further prop up the Petrodollar which is the ONLY thing that prevents its immediate total collapse. Leaving Pakistan with the fallout from the West's Petrodollar alliance with Saudi who in turn paid massive danegeld to Jihadis to make trouble elsewhere ESPECIALLY Pakistan), & Bhutto's ONLY popularity is that she is NOT General Musharraf, even though she is far more pro west than Musharraf. THIS makes here an incendiary. The western politicains/ financiers (including Israel & the Federal Reserve cabal) KNOW this. So we must conclude they are looking for a pretext to nuke Pakistan to replace the petro $ with the Petro Amero.
Adam Ghaznavi, London, UK
Threat to strip Benazir Bhutto of amnesty,
Who cares!
Like a shrewd plantation Banazir has already gained what she was aiming at. Now she is back in Pakistan and back in the politics of her style. Musharraf now is like “a dead man walking†so who cares about amnesty any more.
Rawal, Lahore, pakistan
Musharraf may succeed in pursuading the West that he is the only one available who can overcome the ever rising insurgency in tribal regions and settled areas like Swat.However,the fact remains that he has lost nearly all support and all sustaining power in the country.He depends exclusively upon the Army High Command and the USA for the survival of his tyrranical rule.Now American media is discovering that the sections of population being suppressed by Musharraf are Western educated members of the civil society opposed to the rise of Islamist miltancy and not the Taliban.It is only a matter of time before he receives his marching orders.
What is of critical importance is restoration of the independent judiciary dismissed on November 3 and reconstitution of the election commission,making it it independent in letter and spirit.Unless this is done,rigged elections will cause the crisis to deepen.The only beneficiaries will be Islamist militants.
Afzal A. Neseem, Lincoln, Nebraska
Whilst Musharraf is a dictator, Benazir Bhutto is corrupt, neoptistic and only interested in lining her own pockets. It is sad that the West, knowing her past, touts her as a saviour of Pakistan.
Hamad Lone, London, England
Dubai Media City has ordered GEO and ARY to SHUT their transmission
It is shocking that Dubai Media City has ordered two TV channels of Pakistan GEO TV and ARY to shut their transmission only on few hours notice on the pressure of General Pervaiz Musharraf. Dubai Media City was claimed to be a free zone for world media to opening their broadcasting centers. Investments were attracted in the name of free media zone. But this blatant action has passed a wave of fear among the investors for losing their money and business any time with a simple order without giving any notice or abiding the terms of the license. It means that the properties, business and investments of foreigners are not safe in UAE and any action can be taken on asking of the hostile governments. The west will use it for making negative propaganda against a Muslim and Arab country. The government of UAE has not so far denied that it had ordered the Geo and ARY to shut their transmission on asking of Pervaiz Musharraf.
Somi Khan, Jeddah, KSA
50 judges sacrifced their jobs and refused to take oath under PCO(president's choices oath). Whoever he finds is obstacle in his way, he uses power , manufactures his own laws,forces or blackmails his parliment members to legitimize them. He even was happy to pardon Benazir as long as she is willing to accept him but now that she has raised her voice against Emergency and releasing of judges, he threatens her to have cases reopened against her. Is there any court in the world to try him for the fake promises he has made to this nation. Both Mushraf and Benazir are competing for becoming apple of eyes of Us. They both using Taliban to scare US, and seek its help , one to have power and one to sustain it. And US should give it a thought also , enough is enough , u cant fool 140 million people for so long. People die also , what if Mushraf or Benazir or even Both die then what option US has to rule its colony Pakistan.
Dr Agha Inamullah Khan, hyderabad, pakistan/sindh
It is the politics disaster starting in Pakistan, where it is going to fall down to the worest politics situation. Pakistan has a good politics systems, but they do not know how to apply it in the country.
Dr Hashim Ibrahim, New York,
It is the politics disaster starting in Pakistan, where it is going to fall down to the worest politics situation. Pakistan has a good politics systems, but they do not know how to apply it in the country.
Dr Hashim Ibrahim, New York / NY, USA
It is the politics disaster starting in Pakistan, where it is going to fall down to the worest politics situation. Pakistan has a good politics systems, but they do not know how to apply it in the country.
Dr Hashim Ibrahim, New York / New York, USA / NY
Benign dictatorships are preferable to self-seeking political "democratic" politicans of Ms Bhutto's ilk who are ,I believe,desperately trying to seize power yet again , but Pakistanis can now see through such political chicanrery. Why did Bhutto. Nawaz Sharif and other politicians did not improve the lot of the populace and squandered foreign aid on weapons of mass destruction ?
Let Musharraf face the electorate after lifting current emergengency .
Dr. Abdul Jaleel, Darlington, England
Benign dictatorships are preferable to self-seeking political "democratic" politicans of Ms Bhutto's ilk who are ,I believe,desperately trying to seize power yet again , but Pakistanis can now see through such political chicanery. Why did Bhutto. Nawaz Sharif and other politicians did not improve the lot of the populace and squandered foreign aid on weapons of mass destruction ?
Let Musharraf face the electorate after lifting current emergency . He may be a poodle of the west but is the best of the lot they have in the race to power by democratic route.
Abdul , Darlington, England