Saturday, June 23, 2012

PAKISTANI ESTABLISHMENT & THE PPP GOVERNMENTS

It had been proved beyond doubt that the Pakistani establishment has zero tolerance for any PPP Government at any stage of Pakistani history. The recent and past decisions of the Supreme Court of Pakistan and off and on remarks of the judges during the proceedings of various cases confirmed this belief. In any case, the PPP is the most popular party of the people of Pakistan whether the establishment likes it or not. The Pakistani establishment will have to live with it permanently developing a durable tolerance to any PPP rule. Similar zero tolerance is for the Awami National Party with its political base in KPK and the Balochistan National Party with its base in Balochistan and both the parties are treated at par with the PPP at the Centre and Sindh. To be precise, the PPP, ANP and BNP are truly Pakistani nationalist parties and believed in Pakistani patriotism which the establishment refuses to accept to this date. In Sindh, the MQM is promoted, financed and supported by the establishment to remain a check and counterweight to the PPP, mainly in the urban centres. The MQM had been allowed to retain guns and bully all its constituents when elections are held so that it should emerge as the second largest of most powerful gun wielding party in Karachi. Almost all the Supreme Court decisions against the PPP Government and officials were deplorable as it proved to be a destabilizing factor in politics at this crucial juncture when the country is facing challenges from all corners and the PPP is the only hope to provide a smooth sail. Other political parties in the Opposition are Jihadis and disliked by the world community for obvious link with the Jihadi elements undermining international order, peace and security. It will be a complete disaster for Pakistan if the establishment tried to impose the Jihadi parties, led by PML-N, and in the next elections as the world may not tolerate such elements in power in Pakistan in the backdrop of perennial conflicts with Afghanistan and India. Presumably, the Establishment is losing patience in facing hostile attitude from the US Administration which is increasing pressure on Pakistan to surrender to its terms in Afghanistan, support the US strategy in Afghanistan and surrender its own design making it backyard of the security of Pakistan in the shape of strategic depth. It is the main cause of conflict between Pakistan and the US and Washington is rallying round other countries, mainly India and inducting India into the new Afghan strategy keeping Pakistan out in the game for ever. The dispute with Pakistan had forced the US to keep its military presence till 2024. Naïve political and military leaders thought that US will again abandon Afghanistan on the pattern of 1989 when Soviets withdrew the Red Army Contingents. They had mistaken and now it is clear that the US forces are here in the region on permanent basis dealing with both Pakistan and Iran, the two neighbouring countries US believed are hostile to US interests in the region. The massive US naval presence on Baloch gulf should be an eye opener for all naïve people who claimed that the US stood defeated in Afghanistan and the US forces are on the run. We have to accept the ground realities and develop or repair our relations with US keeping in view the interests of the people of Pakistan. The US stand is ground tough with every passing day and any adventure on the part of the Pakistani establishment, through its proxies, can be disastrous for the country and its security. Before the situation goes out of hand, we must make efforts to repair our relations with the US and also with all neighbouring assuring sovereign equality in international relations in the interest of regional peace and security.

No comments: