Well, fight whom? The terrorists or the Pakistani people’s mandate? President Pervez Musharraf, who became a military dictator in a coup in 1999, has become a pathetic figure begging his former generals to come to his rescue to remain in the presidential chair.
Obviously, Musharraf has realized that the US might not be able to bail him out this time if the democratically elected government has its way. The present Chief of Army Staff’s decision regarding Musharraf would be crucial.
(Meanwhile Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani left for China on Thursday to represent Pakistan in the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics, cancelling Musharraf’s visit. More here…)
It is again a crisis time for Pakistan. If the generals gang up then there could be a civil war as nearly 80 per cent of Pakistanis want Musharraf to be removed from office. (See here…) Or. the generals could be divided on the issue and this could result in further complications.
“There was intense speculation in Pakistan yesterday that the military could be poised to stage another coup, or that the President may use his constitutional powers to dismiss the Government and parliament, thereby snuffing out the impeachment moves,” reports The Australian.
“Coalition leaders Asif Ali Zardari, widower of Benazir Bhutto, and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif announced on Thursday they would seek Mr Musharraf’s impeachment for allegedly mismanaging the country.
“Yesterday, the tough former commando, who turns 65 on Monday, reportedly told advisers holed up with him in his heavily guarded home in the heart of the headquarters of Pakistan’s 600,000-strong army: ‘There can be no question of surrender. None!
They’re not going to force me to resign. I’ve done nothing wrong. I’m going to fight this to the end.’
“The latest crisis prompted dire warnings from commentators yesterday. ‘The only ones who are visibly relishing their prospects (in this crisis) are the terrorists of al-Qa’ida and the Taliban who thrive in states of political anarchy and economic dysfunction,’ wrote Friday Times newspaper editor Najam Sethi.
“The day of reckoning is Monday, when parliament is due to meet in Islamabad – summoned for an ‘execution’ session on the orders of Mr Musharraf.”
Swaraaj Chauhan describes his two-decade-long stint as a full-time journalist as eventful, purposeful, and full of joy and excitement. In 1993 he could foresee a different work culture appearing on the horizon, and decided to devote full time to teaching journalism (also, partly, with a desire to give back to the community from where he had enriched himself so much.)
Alongside, he worked for about a year in 1993 for the US State Department’s SPAN magazine, a nearly five-decade-old art and culture monthly magazine promoting US-India relations. It gave him an excellent opportunity to learn about things American, plus the pleasure of playing tennis in the lavish American embassy compound in the heart of New Delhi.
In !995 he joined WWF-India as a full-time media and environment education consultant and worked there for five years travelling a great deal, including to Husum in Germany as a part of the international team to formulate WWF’s Eco-tourism policy.
He taught journalism to honors students in a college affiliated to the University of Delhi, as also at the prestigious Indian Institute of Mass Communication where he lectured on “Development Journalism” to mid-career journalists/Information officers from the SAARC, African, East European and Latin American countries, for eight years.
In 2004 the BBC World Service Trust (BBC WST) selected him as a Trainer/Mentor for India under a European Union project. In 2008/09 He completed another European Union-funded project for the BBC WST related to Disaster Management and media coverage in two eastern States in India — West Bengal and Orissa.
Last year, he spent a couple of months in Australia and enjoyed trekking, and also taught for a while at the University of South Australia.
Recently, he was appointed as a Member of the Board of Studies at Chitkara University in Chandigarh, a beautiful city in North India designed by the famous Swiss/French architect Le Corbusier. He also teaches undergraduate and postgraduate students there.
He loves trekking, especially in the hills, and never misses an opportunity to play a game of tennis. The Western and Indian classical music are always within his reach for instant relaxation.
And last, but not least, is his firm belief in the power of the positive thought to heal oneself and others.