A President in boots: Pakistan sans democracy

The longstanding stake of President Musharraf to save his military uniform and arbitrarily putting everything off that poses a threat to his sovereignty has repeatedly proved fatal to Pakistan and its people in particular. The increasing distrust, protests and lethal violence is just because of one man’s overweening ambition to rule like an eagle over the doves. After sixty years of freedom, Pakistan saw the recurrent military domination over decadent democracy that still searches a messiah for its rapprochement and rejuvenation to attain fully independent and democratic government, has to wait a little longer. The recent event that shows Musharraf’s impetus to centralize the power in his hand is the removal of Pakistan’s Chief Justice Iftikhar M Chaudhry. This is an attempt to docile the judiciary, as M Chaudhry, now a judicially free mind, can be a threat to Musharraf who covertly looming his web to secure his coveted presidential post. The situation in Karachi is tense, as Chief Justice Iftikhar M Chaudhry has arrived there to address an anti-government rally. The Judges and lawyers are protesting against president for his unconstitutional decision to remove the Chief Justice and are demanding his reinstatement simultaneously. Musharraf has put question mark many times on the independent existence of Judiciary, as in 2000 alone he dismissed 18 judges. Moreover, this time even he ward off the Chief Justice only with the intent to instate a person favoring him and to avert any constitutional challenge for his presidential campaign. Musharraf’s supporters and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) have decided to hold huge counter-demonstrations in Karachi at the same time. The Intelligence is apprehensive of security as terrorist groups may exploit the present situation however, twelve supporters of CJ have already been shot dead while more than fifty are seriously injured. The growing distrust against president Musharraf in Pakistan is evident. India, Afghanistan, and U.S. lawmakers have repeatedly accused him for not doing enough to crackdown Taliban and al Qaeda outfits in the country. For Musharraf, the time still doesn’t seems ripe to relinquish the post of President. However, keeping in mind the present scenario, he should stand down on moral grounds owing the responsibility for the violence that is resulting because of his strife to attain the next term as president while at the same time remaining the army chief. However, a shrewd person of Musharraf’s stature who can cheat the whole world especially USA, India and Afghanistan for its commitment to render compliance on war against terror while at the same time providing safe heavens to terrorists is not going to shed his ambitions soon. Pakistan needs democracy desperately and Musharraf should quit in favor of nation thus paving the way for democracy.

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