Change In Pakistan: New Prime Minister Frees Chief Justice

Is it curtains for the bluff and bluster game played by President ex-General Pervez Musharraf and his mentor in the White House, President George W. Bush, for the past eight years? The first important decision the new Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani took after being elected as prime minister was to order the release of the Chief Justice of the highest court, Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry.

Justice Chaudhry and his family had been confined to his house since Musharraf declared a state of emergency in November last year and sacked 60 senior judges ahead of a Supreme Court ruling that could have invalidated his re-election as president. More here…

Now both Musharraf and Bush appear as pathetic caricatures extolling the virtues of democracy after working overtime to crush any dissidence to the totalitarian rule of Musharraf. The Pakistani president fearing that his days were numbered has started a media campaign that he would love to work with the new government and “promote democracy”.

If one reads carefully the US administration’s recent press release, it would appear that counter-terrorism is not really the main issue in engaging the Pakistan government!!! Imagine Musharraf was being promoted by the US government for eight years and given billions of dollars for the so-called “war-on-terror”.

Here is what the White House Press Secretary Dana Perino said: “We look forward to working with the new government in Pakistan. There’s lots of different areas where we can cooperate - not just counter terrorism, but across the board.”

The US State department Spokesman Sean McCormack said: “This (Gilani becoming PM) was the selection of the Pakistani political leadership and people. (Obviously…Bush & Co are still trying to somehow ensure that dictator Musharraf contiues as president.) We look forward to work with Gilani and his government. Beyond that, I don’t know that there’s much more to add other than our congratulations to his election as prime minister.” What a way to greet the return of democracy in Pakistan!!!

Why is the US administration not talking about seeking the new Pakistan government’s support for “war-on-terror”, or capturing al-Qaeda leaders or Osama-bin-Laden? Are these not the real issues? Or were these used as camouflage to ensure the survival of Musharraf all these years for some extraneous reasons?

These are serious matters which have not found proper space in the US media/blogs for some strange/unknown reasons, and may have long term impact on the US and its media’s standing/credibility in the world.

To give one example of the US backing dictators, who are despised by their people, and how this boomrangs: “The new Pakistan prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, a former house speaker who until two years ago was jailed under what he claims were politically motivated charges, beat the pro-Musharraf candidate for the premier’s slot, Chaudhry Pervez Elahi, by 264 votes to 42.”

Pakistan needs help because the country faces severe challenges and things will not improve with a magic wand in a day. Dictators can crush dissent and hide brutal facts through censorship and make things appear under control. In democracy they come out in the open…warts and all. The new prime minister also talks of challenges and seeks cooperation from all. But with Bush and Musharraf team still in place revelling in its myopia that could aggravate the “grave situation”, one wonders what fate awaits Pakistan.

Mehdi Hasan, one of Pakistan’s leading political analysts and media historians, makes some pertinent points. He is a regular commentator on political affairs on TV and radio, and has authored The Political History of Pakistan, a widely acclaimed book. Excerpts from a recent interview: “The present condition here has been created by the US invasion of Afghanistan. One reason Pakistan has not been able to become a fully democratic country is that it has been a frontline state for the US in its strategic policy. In the 1980s, Pakistan was used by the US in its fight against communism in Afghanistan and now it’s being used by the US in its so-called war on terror.” More here…

(photo above: Freed Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry)