Daily Times

With the passage of time history becomes more re-vealing as previous records lose prohibition of time limitation for public exposure. American classified cuments after their declassification have revealed that Liaquat Ali Khan refused to offer Pakistan as a base for the Anglo-American operations for toppling the government of Prime Minister Dr Mossadegh who was not letting Anglo-Iranian oil conglomerate continue exploitation of oil exploration. Obviously, the common objective among the two powers was removal of Liaquat since he had become main hurdle in the pursuit of Iran’s petroleum wealth. They were made comfortable sleeping partners in the same bed with different dreams-a collaboration so firm that it continues to this day with the same results.

It, however, brings out candidly the obvious difference between Pakistani civilian leaders and its military top brass. While Liaquat was firm in his no to the Anglo-American designs as his defence of Pakistan’s independence and sovereign status, our subsequent history in particular under the generals has been a long catalogue of total surrender to the foreign dictates besides of course a life long struggle between them and the people as to who is the sole arbiter of power in Pakistan-the masses or the establishment. The assassin’s bullets that pierced through Liaquat’s heart not only removed giant of a patriot but also dealt a fatal blow to the future of democracy. With his assassination began the unending struggle between the people and the military. Ever since then Pakistan has come to be a land of conspiracies by its military establishment against the political leadership rendering country’s fragile civil democracy in tatters.

The assassin’s bullets that pierced through Liaquat’s heart not only removed giant of a patriot but also dealt a fatal blow to the future of democracy

As Liaquat Ali Khan Prime Minister Zulifkar Ali Bhutto too refused to compromise on vital national interests and preferred to walk to the gallows head high to provide ever lasting pride to his people, Pakistani generals-one after the other-have proved themselves anorchously impotent. Time and again they have bartered national interests to preserve themselves in power. Last of the dictators General Pervez Musharraf-the author of his book

“In the Line of Fire”-rightly described by his critics as a Titanic of lies-has been floated on hot air belching foul smell drowning the country’s honour. While most of the worst and most tragic events have occurred during this month in our roller-coaster march onward, October 8, 2005 will always be sadly remembered as the horrendously tragic day for the devastating earthquake that killed more than 80,000. While that being the worst day due to its enormity in the magnitude of human tragedy, October 12, 1999 will be remembered as one of the most darker of the dark days in Pakistan’s political history. Yet again its own-people conquering military over threw yet another elected civilian government.

Life for others since has come to be short, brutish and nasty. His own too has become gravely insecure. While the existence of a common man is becoming more painfully agonising, the question mark on Musharraf’s future too is becoming more ominous. He has saved his life thankfully by resigning on pressure of the civilian rulers. Never ever before in the history of Pakistan so many attempts were made to kill the head of state as has been his case

The usurper general did complete nine years in office in violation of Article 6 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan-an act of treason punishable with death. He is the fourth in the order of the Pakistani garrison empire-first three being General Ayub Khan (1958-1969), General Yahya Khan (1969-1971), and General ZiaulHaq (1977-1988). Until now since 1947, Pakistan has been directly ruled by the generals for nearly 31 out of its 59 years while conspiracies, GHQ intrigues and machinations against civilian rulers were started from the very inception of Pakistan and continued ceaselessly all through.

These were responsible for thebreak up of the country, separation of East Pakistan through surrender to India, subversion of 1973 Constitution and execution of its first popularly elected prime minister-Zulfikar Ali Bhutto– on the trumped up charge of murder, implantation of stage-managed democracy, series of prime ministerial dismissals to formally return to the military rule again. Though he did not learn any lessons from history, I attach lot of importance to General Zia’s understanding of the dynamics of change. When he imposed his martial law-third in a row-he warned that the fourth military intervention would mean end of Pakistan.

Time is running out. The megalomaniac leadership is strengthening perception that Pakistan has come to be a failed state and a cesspool of religious fundamentalism that is fast converting the entire region into a vast swamp with obviously imminent spill over that would have for the adjoining countries as much or even more catastrophic than the nuclear fall out. Howsoever large the NATO presence in Afghanistan and whatever funds Washington and its allies pour in, democracy will only be able to take roots there when it has a strong democratic Pakistan as its neighbour sans ISI and a defanged military. Pakistan now “rent-a-country” is being run through excessive corruption, coercion and cronyism. As Lord Patton wrote not long ago, “So much has been grabbed by the military that it will take years just to catalogue it. The military has acquired vast tracts of state-owned land at nominal rates; its leaders dominate businesses and industries, ranging from banking to cereal factories. Their control of the economy has grown so great it will present an enormous challenge to any future democratically elected government.”

Author is the former High Commissioner of Pakistan to UK a veteran Journalist