 |
| |
WEEKLY
SECTIONS |
 |
|
 |
| Descent into chaos |
|
|
|
Saturday, February 28, 2009
When I glance over the recent history of political blunders, one observation stands out to me, that absolute power blinds absolutely. For example, take dictators like Pervez Musharraf and Sadam Hussein, or fascists like Adolf Hitler and Slobodan Milosevic, or democratically elected leaders like Newt Gingrich and Nawaz Sharif who were all blinded by power. All of them are known to be intelligent individuals – so what is the reason for what happened to them?
The only explanation I can think of is that such people, despite their intelligence, live in a state that disconnects them from reality. And by that I mean that their coterie of advisers is such that they make them believe things which are removed from reality. It has to be said that by all accounts Mr Zardari too has surrounded himself with a small circle of courtiers, none of whom can see the mood on the street.
Adnan Gill
Los Angeles
*****
This was the last thing Pakistan needed now. At this juncture it required national unity and no political games of any kind. A country, which is on the verge of financial collapse and where extremism and poverty are both on the rise, can ill afford such confrontation. We can only pray now.
Bahadar Ali Khan
Markham, ON, Canada
*****
The Feb 25 verdict has proven that common sense is not very common. The commoners have it but not those sitting at the helm of affairs.
Masood Aslam
Rawalpindi
*****
When will we ever learn from our past? It seems, going by what has been happening in the country over the past few days, never!
M Ajmal Khan
Malakand
*****
I think the PML-N got what it deserved and I say this because its leaders were too defensive as an opposition and failed to see the threat to their party. They have been outsmarted and outmanoeuvred by the president in the ruthless game that is politics.
Qamar Ul Hassan
Islamabad
*****
It was not too long ago when the president was quoted in the national press as saying: "I know how to treat lawyers and the long march". I wonder whether by this he meant the actions of Feb 25.
Noor Ali
Bahawalnagar
*****
The disqualification decision is not good. It will not help the country in any way and will be bad for the PPP as well. The president may feel strengthened but he is surely not as strong as Musharraf was when he was president and the army chief. Even Musharraf had to eventually go. But the pity is that our politicians do not learn from the past.
Kamran Kiani
Islamabad
*****
The disqualification of the Sharifs seems to be preordained -- not least because they stood firmly by the honourable deposed chief justice. However, we should now not be under any illusions about what is what in Pakistan -- and for that very reason we all need to ensure that the long march becomes successful.
Najeebullah
Swat
*****
When I look at the current political situation I remember a line from the great Greek dramatist, Euripides. who said: "Those whom God wishes to destroy, He first deprives them of their senses."
Dr Irfan Zafar
Islamabad
*****
The decapitation of the Punjab government goes beyond an act of perfidy and brazen political opportunism. Given what Shahbaz Sharif was doing for the province, I would say ousting him is a national tragedy. For over 60 years, no political leader or military dictator tried to bring good governance to the people. Shahbaz Sharif was the first one to break out of the standard mould of our leaders. He hand-picked and assembled a team of dedicated bureaucrats and the best in the police force to serve the people. He is the first leader to have realised that more than bread, justice was the crying need of the downtrodden. From his daily routine he set aside a few hours to deal personally with the many applications sent to him by ordinary people and he pursued these till the point where they were righted.
It is to the eternal shame of the PPP that it cut short this experiment instead of emulating it. Also, I should say this -- at the risk of sounding like a conspiracy theorist -- that not one of the many people I have discussed this whole issue with thinks that all this could have happened without a nod of approval from Washington. Whether this is the case or not, this is certainly the perception, and perception is often more important than reality. The Punjab government was a good advertisement of the benefits of democracy and this is something clearly lost on the federal government.
Saeed A Malik
Rawalpindi
*****
The PML-N protests have left a state of anarchy in the country. Of course I dislike the decision and will come out on the streets for the long march for the restoration of the judiciary, but burning my own people's property won't really make the situation any better. I would like to share an experience of a dear friend of mine whose name I cannot disclose. His grandfather had a sudden heart attack and was being rushed to the hospital in an ambulance in Lahore.
However, despite the sirens of the ambulance and its desperate attempts to get through, the protesters refused to let it pass. So for around one hour the man who had just suffered a heart attack was stuck in traffic and needed to be rushed to the hospital.
Imaan Hazir
Islamabad
*****
Democracy has taken yet another insufferable blow from the current government. Though there are some individuals who may have benefited from what has happened, the fact is that democracy has lost. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto gave his life to defend democracy as did his daughter. It is a shame that their party is now indulging in such anti-democracy acts.
More than a blow to the PML-N, the events of the past few days are a blow to the credibility and the democracy-loving reputation of the PPP.
Ali Sheikh
Bara Kahu
|
|
|
| Back
| Send
this story to Friend | Print
Version |
|
|
|
ISSN 1563-9479 
