General Pervez Musharraf: Does Pakistan still love a man in a uniform?

Democracy when I say so

Though it’s beginning to seem like old times again, many Pakistanis are doing little more than grumbling over President (and still General) Pervez Musharraf’s widely expected decision not to follow through on his promise to resign as Army chief and govern as a civilian after December 31, 2004. “I have decided to retain both offices,” said Musharraf in a television address. “In my view, any change in internal or external policies can be extremely dangerous for Pakistan.” The deal was made with a coalition of opposition political parties called Mutahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) in return for constitutional support granting him dissolution powers, although Musharraf backtracked and gained parliamentary approval in November to keep his uniform. While this has naturally angered the MMA and brought the otherwise divergent Pakistan People’s Party of former Prime Minster Benazir Bhutto (her husband Asif Zardari, has been released from prison after 8 years) into the camp (“We agree with them on some issues, like they say that Musharraf should remove his uniform”), anti-Musharraf protests suffered from pitifully low turnouts, despite threats of a “black day“. Musharraf, in turn, accused the opposition of “threatening the democratic process” by trying to make political capital (cough) and continued to bolster his support in the Army by promoting new supporters after sacking the old. Then there is the extrajudicial aspect – the numerous assassination attempts on Musharraf’s life this year, with many suspects still at large. Musharraf’s 1999 coup (widely accepted in Pakistan) was criticized abroad for its anti-democratic nature, but soon Musharraf’s cooperation with the US on fighting terrorism and his (laudable) goal of forging a moderate and integrated Pakistan won him international support (as his standing reversed domestically). Still, despite moves to legitimise his power, Musharraf may find the clock running out as opposition threatens to become more violent and destabilising. “General Musharraf promised to restore true democracy,” said a spokesman. “It is only when true democracy is restored, that Pakistan’s internal stability will be guaranteed and its national interest secured.” And needless to say, what’s true is not up to you.

Zahed Amanullah is associate editor of altmuslim.com. He is based in London, England.