The Totalitarian Democracy

It was a day that a whole nation looked up for an arrival and when it happened, a city bathed in blood with over four hundred and fifty lives evaporated into the salty Karachi air. The protagonist – Benazir Bhutto, the villian – Islamic Fundamentalists and extremists and President Musharraf. Liberalist ideology is a Sacrilege in Pakistan and hence Benazir happens to be the one who is cursed. She happens to be one amongst very few in Pakistan equipped with high Academic acumen and being educated happens to be ominous for many politicians there or atleast for Musharraf, for his supremacy is at stake.

It is not for the first time the Pakistan People’s Party is faced with the scenario of having a Young Leader leading the party as Ms. Bhutto herself was unanimously elected as the chief after her father’s execution and she was in her early twenties then. Now, we have a 19-year old future Oxford Pass-out, Mr. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari as her successor. When I heard this decision at first I personally felt that it was ludicrous, but then Young Blood will never go wasted. Where can he take the party now is the secondary question as the elections are fast approaching and his influence will be minute.

During the late eighties and early nineties when she was elected to be the Prime Minister (1988 and 1993 to be specific), she was ‘Daughter of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’ (she will be forever) and her vision of liberal Pakistan was welcomed by one and all. But, things took a turn after she arrived in october from self-exile, she was pictured as a newly baptized daughter of USA by many politicians as the big nation lobbied for the concord between Musharraf and Bhutto.

The Election-mongers blew their horns for the new general elections but violence knew no bounds after her arrival. She got staunch opposition from the Fundamentalists who knew not of humanity and strongly opposed her relation with the United States. With nearly a thousand lives succumbing to the attacks starting with Karachi Blasts, Musharraf felt that it was a great oppurtunity for him to stamp his authority through emergency and so he did. He imposed emergency mid-november, Removed Chief Justice Iftikar Chaudhry, who was bugging him to shred his uniform, appointed his minions in the Judiciary. Pressures from his best ally exhorted him to shred his uniform during early december and also revoke the emergency mid december (15th to be specific). During the period of emergency Mr. Nawaz Sharif, Pakistan Muslim League Chairman and contender for the Prime Minister was allowed to return to Pakistan. I feel this move by Judiciary could have been influenced by Musharraf as he wanted to show off to the world that Pakistan is having fair elections.

I personally feel that Mr. Musharraf and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez are sailing in the same boat. Mr. Chavez who was elected for the second term in 2005 had supreme lust to be in power and so he made an amendment in the constitution that enabled him to be President for life, the only difference between these two is that one constitutionally immortalized himself and the other is calmly hunting down his aggressors.
Coming back to Ms. Bhutto’s assassination, It was believed that Ms. Bhutto prior to her return to her homeland sent an e-mail to Mark Siegel, US Diplomat stating that if at all she gets killed in Pakistan, Musharraf must be held responsible for it (veritability of this statement need to be proven although the media had aired/reported it). The security provided to her was miniscule and it is quite unusual that after many requests from the Bhutto’s contigent to tighten her security, the Musharraf Government had neglected it. Ms. Bhutto had partly done herself in with her habit of waving from the sun-roof of her car.

During the time of emergency the terrorist/extremists had ample time to sketch different plans and once it has been lifted, they executed all their plans. Did Musharraf work in tandem with these Terrorist/ Extremist/Fundamentalists? provides a sceptic answer but cannot be ruled out because Ms. Bhutto was stronger than he was and her presence as the head of the nation will put an end to his supremacy. It can be taken for granted that she would have won these elections had she been alive, with ease.

Let me put myself into the shoes of those who planned her demise. Our plans to kill her in the past backfired but now lets make it count. We all know that this emergency is going to last within few weeks and then we can have a go at her few days after the emergency ends. Few of our men have been at all her recent meetings and have perfect knowledge of her security cordon. The security for her is only single layered, which means it is easier to trespass these cordons. After every meeting she has this habit of waving to the crowd from the sun-roof of her car, which makes it easier for us to recognise in which car she’s going to be in. Firstly, we need ten teams comprising for ten members each consisting two suicide bombers, six guys equipped with shotguns and two men who should monitor their units. One Suicide Bomber should go off in the crowd distracting the police from her after she had got into her car and waving through her sun-roof. Then the unit which is closer to her should drill their bullets into her head, one more suicide bomber could go off if the situation goes out of hand for us, but from a unit that is a bit far off from her. This must have been their plan for her assassination (Although I did omit many other factors that they might have thought of, it is just to give a basic idea).

It doesn’t take an einstein’s head to say that it was a well planned, well executed murder with complete exploitation of loopholes. I have three theories about the forces that can be behind this carnage- Islamic Fundamentalists, President Musharraf or Both.

If it was the Islamic Fundamentalists/Extremists then they have proved once again that they are more like an administrative wing for the Jihadists and Terrorists. If a religion preaches that Killing in the name of God is right, is it worthy following? In my perspective ‘Humanity’ is our true religion and Christianity, Hinduism, Islam etc are just faiths that shaped up our way of living (this doesn’t mean that they aren’t religions) by our ancestors. They did have grudge against Bhutto for being associated with the Americans and she did get warnings that she’d be killed if she comes back home. The fact that a ‘Fatwa’ being issued against her is not known and cannot be ruled out but it would haven’t been accepted by public either. We can believe the fact that they had cleverly executed their plans and made their warnings come true. Trying to sound diabolical, I can say that this branch in Pakistan encouraged Gender Inequality, killed innocent in the name of God, It is not the first time they are doing this except the fact that an important person was killed, but it still serves as the backbone of the Pakistan’s Politics rather than getting banned.

If it was Musharraf, then one can attribute to his ‘would you like to be shot or hanged?’ attitude towards the arrival of Benazir and Nawaz. One cannot forget the fact that Mr.Sharif faced with an attack just a day before Benazir Bhutto was killed and he was lucky enough to escape. Mr. Musharraf , whenever he is on move he has a convoy of 25 to 30 with him, it can be more than that but for leaders of equal importance they have very meagre security. They are vulnerable to attacks and only God’s grace could ward off any trouble. Recently he made a statement to the press saying that Ms. Bhutto was responsible for her death for she hung out of her sun-roof. Unfortunately this attitude of his only reinforces the fact that he can be an active ingredient of her death although what he said is partially true. I will sum this up by saying that Mr. Musharraf was a concilliator for a game of Russian Roulette played by Pakistani Democrats, initiated by him. But the twist in this game was that the gun was fully loaded and Benazir Bhutto was the first to get it. Now that his fiercest rival had been squelched Mr. Musharraf can safely build his fortress of Totalitarian Democracy.

Finally, we have this possibility of both the aforesaid forces working in tandem. Although Musharraf is in their hitlist for being associated with Bush whose policies had revoked staunch opposition from the Islamic world, it might as well be Musharraf’s ploy to channelise these American Investments in Pakistan towards these institutions of Terror. That is why he is spared inspite of a number of whims and caprices committed by him according to them( fundamentalists). All they need is money and they are not bothered about its source, they are bothered about its quantity and Musharraf stood like a flag-bearer, so huge in size that he masked their presence. Months of planning and toil had succesfully hatched and their objective had been fulfilled.

The proliferation in the investments made by US in Pakistan can also be taken as a move to set up a strategic point over there as India is too huge and too strong a country to be tamed. Selling juicy F-16s and showering various enticing options they want to attain supremacy in South Asia( it is not known to us what the US had asked for in the nuclear deal with us). The Americans might be unaware of Musharraf’s wiles but once aware their marriage with Pakistan would meet the same end as the Talibans had met with.
Benazir’s death has attracted a widespread polemics across the South Asia, if not around the whole world. She is a very good Diplomat and her loss is irreperable for her nation. Infact, people think that the only way to die if you are a Bhutto is to get killed. Another interesting fact is that all the Pakistani prime ministers before Nawaz Sharif were either assassinated or executed, sad but true. A thorough investigation was called for, regarding this case. Only time will tell what the outcome of the investigations is.

Let us put all this behind and discuss about the general elections which are planned to take place during the third week of february(?). What is the point of these elections? Mr. Nawaz sharif is least inclined towards this, so is his compatriot and opponent Imran Khan, Chairman of Tahreek-e-Insaaf Party. These elections are just for namesake, one of Mush’s kinsmen will be at the helm. Mr. President is moving all his pawns for a safely rigged elections, marshalling his minions towards the top posts of the country. If not his men, he can happily negotiate a secret deal with his opponents and invite them to form a government. Bush on the other side is feinted by all this and the marriage between Crazy Bush and Cunning Mush will survive (atleast till the end of Bush’s term, what lay ahead after that is cryptic). This is what I call a paragon of Totalitarian Democracy.

The Pakistani cauldron will continue to spill blood for months to come, if not years. What difference will Bilawal will make to Pakistan is bound only with time.