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Kayani manipulated Musharraf, and then he manipulated all the politicians. (Photo: Voiceofkarachi.blogspot.com) |
Last night I saw a talk show hosted by Kashif Abbasi on ARY Digital in which the guest panel included the mother of all turncoats Hanif Abbasi of the PML – N, Asma Arbab of the PPP, and Maj. Gen. (R) Rashid Qureshi, who was the DG of ISPR in Musharraf’s time, and later remained his spokesman.
The discussion was about the return of Musharraf to power politics in this country and it was totally absurd. Hanif Abbasi for one does not have the right to tell anyone how and where political loyalties are established, considering he jumped ship, from Jamaat e Islami, right when his political affiliations were taking him down. And Asma Arbab should not lecture people about how Musharraf is muddying the name of the “revered” Pakistan Army, when she and her political party have been at the forefront of Army bashing internationally and in Pakistan for over four decades. Fact is, he’s not. He hasn’t talked about the army at all.
All these weird political, backstabbing, ignominious jackasses who come on TV to boost their self-centered egos and to throw dust into the people’s eyes need to be checked. Extolling the goodness of General Kayani and his army at every instant, and telling us they are our heroes when they themselves were, and have been either a direct or indirect part of the anti-democratic processes in this country since 1958, is ironic at the very least.
Why doesn’t Asma Arbab and her ilk castigate General Kayani in the same breath that they reserve for Musharraf? Lest we forget, Gen Kayani is as much involved in the political wrangling of this country as Musharraf, if not more ( Yes - Finance Ministry, Foreign Ministry, long march, Kerry Lugar bill, midnight meets, to name a few, are all matters of political wrangling). The fates of the Pakistanis and the political destinies are still defined inside the red brick walls of the GHQ. There is still no place for honest people in this country because even now vested interests from the army, the bureaucracy and the political setup are effectively plotting to enhance their own gains.
While Musharraf drew up the NRO, the PPP was nothing more than his lapdog. It refused to check him on every instant. If they are so “democratic” as they claim they are, then why did BB order her party cadres not to vote against Musharraf in the Presidential elections near the end of his reign? If I remember correctly, the PPP decided not to vote at all. What a farce.
And Hanif Abbasi ought to know better than to tell the people that “prisoners can never make deals.” Well guess what punk, your bald daddy set a precedent in 2000 then didn't he? He very much went to Saudi Arabia on a deal, chose to live in palatial residences of Arab autocrats, enjoyed lavish food and free waitressing and then when the time got right, he thought he’d come back and tell the nation about the “agreement”. By the same yardstick, Musharraf has done nothing wrong. He has gone into exile and he’ll come back when he wants to come back. Big deal. And Mr. Hanif Abbasi, you yourself were a part of Musharraf’s government when you were in power. MMA and the PML – Q had a working relationship even if it was marred by the occasional bump, but you were very much a part of it. There is no concept of self introspection in this country, because if we did, we wouldn’t have these fools come up on TV and say such benignly stupid stuff.
Oh and let’s not forget Gen Kayani. He was the Chief of ISI during Musharraf’s time, and therefore he was the one who was responsible for all the negotiations, compromises and conciliation between Musharraf and PPP. Not only that, he was leading ISI, Pakistan's supposedly first line of defense, in the Lal Masjid operation, for which Musharraf shares all the blame (Lal Masjid by the way happens to be at stone's throw distance from the headquarters of our dear agency). And now he pretends to be the savior of the Pakistani nation, and calls upon the Pak Army to defend its “ideological” borders. What nonsense. If he was such a saint, he would’ve refused to take on the mantle of the COAS (Chief of Army Staff) for the additional three years that he did. I’m sure the army has groomed enough generals to step into his shoes.
This country runs in paradoxes and is full of hypocrisy. Those who give sermons of accountability, honesty and decency cower when asked to prove their own. Sadly we have to choose the best from this worst kind and we even fail at that. Musharraf or no Musharraf, the politicians in this country, and the military men for that matter, have a lot to answer. Of course they never will and it would be futile to expect them to, but we can still call their bluff when they decide to make random individuals, punch bags to prove they are the righteous.
