New rays of light in Pakistan: Illusion or real? 

- DR. ABDUL RUFF

[Dr. Abdul Ruff Colachal, Chancellor-Founder of Centor for International Affairs(CIA); Specialist on State Terrorism ; Global columnist, Commentator  on world affairs , Expert on Mideast Affairs, Analyst on  sport fixings , Chronicler of Foreign occupations & Freedom movements (Palestine, Kashmir, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Xinjiang, Chechnya, etc.) Former university Teacher; website: http://abdulruff.wordpress.com/mail: abdulruff_jnu@yahoo.com]

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Pakistan winter? 

Arab Spring which  created  havoc in Mideast changing  regimes, has at long last arrived in Pakistan, albeit hesitantly. Clearly, as a result, Pakistan is in the grips of a major political upheaval.

Pakistan currently finds itself in a state of multiple crises. Pakistanis lost all hopes until recently for any change in the system of governance. Unable to tolerate any longer people of Pakistan have at last decided to fight the regime evil in Islamabad once for all. Pakistanis are being led by a new capable leader Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri, a government critic and their revolutionary leader who has emerged straight from the masses seeking to help people make a strong Pakistan free from corruption and crimes of which the regimes of Pakistan have been comprised ever since the Islamic nation was founded in 1947 to promote and safeguard genuine interests of Pakistanis.

Pakistan has plunged into a leadership crisis too. As hundreds of thousands demonstrate against corruption, the country's high court has ordered the arrest of Prime Minister Ashraf. Populist cleric Tahir-ul-Qadri has declared a "revolution." The streets of Pakistan were packed on Tuesday, when hundreds of thousands of demonstrators joined the protest called by Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri, a self-proclaimed revolutionary leader. Indeed, it was to be his day of "revolution." in the middle of the march, the news suddenly broke that the Islamabad court had ordered the arrest of Pakistani Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf on suspicion of corruption and nepotism. The demonstrators cheered wildly when they heard the development.

Unable any more to tolerate a irresponsible regime, Pakistanis are already in the streets seeking justice and they ask for a change.  "Change the System!" They had convened to celebrate Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri and the decision made by the country's Supreme Court to allow the arrest of Pakistani Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf on suspicion of corruption and nepotism. Women waved green flags emblazoned with the white crescent symbol and sang. "Nizam Badlo!" they call out repeatedly. They feel ashamed of having voted for the current leaders “democratically” during elections in spring 2008 and lost respect for the anti-people government that has not regard for the Pakistani people.

Pakistan’s highest court has ordered the prime minister's arrest and the military waits in the wings. For the first time in the country's 66-year history that a “democratically” elected government doubts if it could survive for an entire term comfortably. Ashraf has been prime minister since last June, stands accused of having received bribes in connection with an energy project during his stint as minister of water and power from 2008 to 2011. He is said to have purchased property in London with the money he received. Some companies that were to have delivered power plants to Pakistan received millions of euros worth of compensation without ever having delivered the generators. Later, it became clear that politicians had received bribes from these companies, Ashraf among them.

At issue are power stations built by foreign firms that Pakistan would then only have to rent, called "rental power" projects. The accusations have been following Ashraf for years. Indeed, many in Pakistan refer to him simply as "Raja Rental." He became prime minister despite the corruption allegations, partly because his challenger was also said to have been involved in a corruption affair. The court ordered the arrest of a total of 16 people and demanded that Pakistani security forces make sure the prime minister appeared in court. The corruption allegations against Ashraf are old and the case has been working its way through the courts for some time now. "But from the timing, it looks like this was agreed upon," says Islamabad-based Pakistani journalist Taha Siddiqui. But it is unlikely that any military putsch will take place.

Islamic or Corrupt Pakistan?

Jinnah had laid foundations  for an Islamic nation in South Asia but Pakistan under the committed looters now is killing both Muslims and Islam, with imported NATO criminal networks being actively engaged in the heinous anti-Islam agenda.

Corruption grew at an alarming rate, even as Pakistan's economy does not reflect their elation. The country's stock market index immediately plunged. Pakistan’s known political leaders are worried as the country will be facing a national election by May.

 The criticism of the current, “democratic” government is fully justified. For most Pakistanis, the situation has deteriorated since its election. Food prices have risen dramatically, while electricity, natural gas and gasoline supplies have grown scarcer. An increasing number of people can't afford a second daily meal, and others are freezing because they have no heating gas. The country also faces other tremendous problems, like terrorism, violence against religious minorities, the increasing radicalization of many parts of society, disputes with the country's unstable neighbor Afghanistan, a violent power struggle in the port city of Karachi, water shortages and natural disasters like earthquakes and floods.

The current government has decided that only it and the opposition have a say in the creation of any transition government that has to be created under the constitution if a government collapses prior to an election. The military, which until now has had a say on this issue, no longer does.

For decades, the military had been indisputably the most powerful force in the country. It was far more than an institution that could defend the country. The armed forces interfered with corrupt politics and had installed the country's leader for half of Pakistan's history. They controlled large swathes of the economy influenced most important decisions made in the country -- from the appointment of important diplomatic posts to the operations of the state owned airline PIA. That remains true today, but the military's influence has diminished palpably. A growing number of people are questioning the need for such a large, expensive and omnipotent military. The army alone has 620,000 soldiers. The specter of arch-enemy India had always been raised to justify the massive military's existence.

The last coup, which brought Musharraf to power, happened almost 14 years ago. Since then, a strong civil corrupt society has taken root at all levels and the media managed public opinion is even feared by the military now. The military has seemingly lost both influence and standing since the end of Gen Pervez Musharraf's military rule  that attacked even Red Mosque, killing Muslims. The stated assassination of Osama bin Laden in May 2011 by NATO terrorists in the northern city of Abbottabad, only a few hundred meters away from the military academy, was humiliating for the military and nation. Pakistani regime drew criticism for not doing anything to oust the NATO terror syndicates and even secretly tolerating the air strikes on Pakistanis and military.

Revolutionary shakes the regime

A revolutionary shakes the regime min placed of military. Already, a power struggle had been brewing. The religious leader Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri has been leading a protest march since Sunday, the goal of which is to overthrow of the government. He is hoping to create an interim government, force new elections an push through voting reforms.

The 61-year-old former professor of international constitutional law does not only trace his ancestral roots to Lucknow but also visited the city in March last year. Qadri's visit to Lucknow was part of his four-week Indian tour. He met several eminent Muslim scholars of Lucknow and underlined that terrorism has no place in Islam.

Pakistan's government opened talks with the cleric Qadri. a 10-member delegation was holding discussions to defuse a political crisis that erupted after he led a convoy of buses carrying thousands of protesters into the capital on Monday. The Pakistan government formed a four-member committee on Thursday to hold talks with Qadri shortly after he announced a fresh deadline for action on his demands for the government to resign and to dissolve the national and provincial assemblies. The committee includes religious affairs minister Khurshid Shah, PML-Q chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain' senior Muttahida Qaumi Movement leader Farooq Sattar and Awami National Party leader Afrasiyab Khattak.  Qadri has been camping near parliament with thousands of supporters to push his demand for electoral reforms. Opposition parties led by the PML-N said they would oppose any unconstitutional or unlawful move to derail the democratic system. 

There have been state concerns about the popularity of Qadri and his effective use of the print and electronic media trying to tarnish the regime image. Zardari regime wants to end the movement at any cost. In order to target the movement, the PPP-led government has also sought the Canadian government's help regarding details of the NGO operating under the supervision of Qadri in Canada, along with the manifesto and mandate of the NGO as well as its origin of funding. Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has launched a formal probe against Minhajul Quran International (MQI) chief Dr Tahirul Qadri, after it obtained evidence relating to the source of the massive funding that has sustained Qadri's protest in Islamabad. It also approached Hawala dealers who deal in remitting money from abroad through illegal means.

Qadri is clear about two things: Islam never had anything to do with terrorism and, secondly, that India and Pakistan should cut their military budgets and instead spend it on public welfare.

Qadri the cleric turned popular leader of Pakistan is worried about developments in Pakistan and was particularly critical of the fundamental forces which had wrongly interpreted Islam for their own gains. He is worried about the fluid situation in Pakistan and was yearning for a change.

Observations

Arab spring has eventually struck Pakistan in an unexpected way. The message of the revolution, going by the mood of the masses, is that Pakistan urgently needs a fundamental change.

A country with tremendous almost chronic problems, only a new genuine leadership with people concerns at heart of polices should assume power in Islamabad. The nuclear power is facing a test with NATO terror syndicates still call the shots on Pakistani soil and Pakistani puppet regime doesn't appear capable of withstanding.

The most important thing for Pakistanis is that their quality of life improves in the future. Nobody knows seems to know who can ensure that. A peaceful and smooth transition might still be possible -- or the country could slide into lasting turmoil.  Regime has, by employing the Indo-Pak cross border firing as well as intelligence menace to threaten the movement on funds issue, managed to coerce the popular movement to stop the agitation for a new pro-people and corruption free regime.

People no longer trust the rulers. Desperation over living conditions and anger over the corrupt government are considerable enough that people would be willing to swallow a lot.  So it doesn't bother the Pakistanis too much that Tahir-ul-Qadri preaching a liberal Islam and promising democratic principles may have the military's backing -- even if he disputes this. For many in the country, the idea that a military government would be better than a corrupt democracy that kills people  by employing foreign  state terrorists experienced so far. Nor does it seem to bother them than that he gives bizarre speeches in which he praises the country's blasphemy laws before turning right around and. Then, again, he says he wants to send the democratically elected government packing. He is constantly contradicting himself.

People of Pakistan have finally realized unless a truly Islamic system is established the nation would be under perpetual risks and permanent threats. Emerging new revolutionary movement is attracting mass protests all over Pakistan and rightly so!

Now there is some hope that the new Pakistan under the honest leadership as desired by the people would embark upon new era of positive Islamic way of life. But how sooner that would be remains the key issue now. Qadri is now rallying thousands in the Pakistani capital demanding the ouster of the government.

Judiciary in Pakistan, unlike judiciaries of the world, especially in “democratic” India, his movement has transformed him from being largely unknown into a political superstar in the space of just a few weeks. Since December, he has been using television and newspaper ads to call on Pakistanis to join him on a "long march" against corruption and in favor of election reform. In his midday speech, he left no doubt that he views the military and judiciary positively, while he execrated parliament as a "bastion of corruption." Muhammad praised the positive role of the military and the judiciary in a system otherwise pervaded by corruption. 

Tahir-ul-Qadri, a moderate Muslim and the founder of the organization Minhaj-ul-Quran, or "the path of the Koran," is seen by critics as a future “pawn” of the country's generals and justices.

Will Pakistani leaders and their American promoters let Islam to take  genuine roots in Pakistan? 

The Zardari rulers would ask  money as service  charges even to answer this simple question!