Keeping Cool
When instead of the usual knee-jerk reaction “who will rid me of this mad priest?” (Henry 2 in “Beckett” about the Beckett problem) for having the audacity of airing DHA Karachi’s glaring deficiencies and inefficiencies, Commander 5 Corps Lt Gen. Tariq Waseem Ghazi ordered the Executive Committee of DHA Karachi to fix what is clearly amiss, among other things a lack of water, overflowing sewerage, widely strewn garbage, polluted roads, etc, the media gave good coverage to the official handout about his instructions to the DHA executives “to get on with it”. Despite an early surge of optimism the sorry reality on the ground confirms that his message is not getting through to the incorrigibles. Except for more people than usual picking up garbage the status quo remains. The media “shock and awe” tactics may have got Ghazi’s attention as to DHA’s visible failings, it cuts no ice with the hard-bitten, they will always claim that the whole thing is personal. Frankly that is only partly true; one does confess to a human failing is being discriminated against.
DHA’s minions are quite addicted to “knee-jerk reactions” (that Ghazi claims he eschewed) against recalcitrants like me, some of these characters are as unforgiving as they are guilty of systematic malfeasance. Files have been known to disappear; blueprints and important papers have more often than not taken a walk. NAB speaks piously of a “national anti-corruption strategy”, for starters why not enquire into the assets of the Administrator and Directors / Secretaries of DHA’s Karachi and Lahore for the last 5 years? Since there are mostly retired military personnel, that should avoid NAB’s taboo of touching the “serving”. But what happens if things start pointing towards culpability by serving personnel? I don’t think that this President will take kindly to uniformed personnel engaged in blatant corruption. One may like to also explore the “regimental tie” bond, the unscrupulous usually exploit this access to the “commercially naive”. Living far beyond their means in many cases they are so much “accountable” that media cynosure is required for many DHA issues, again one refrains from naming these publicly.
One of Musharraf’s outstanding successes has been to inculcate among the khaki (at least at the hierarchy level) not to react in the time honored “off-with-his-head-in-retaliation-for-a-finger” manner. Patience is not normally associated with military rulers. In absorbing objective criticism positively without “shooting the messenger” bearing bad tidings, the President has presided over one of the most media-friendly military regimes in history; While Rashid Qureshi must get some of the credit, the buck stopped at the desk of the Chief. Incidentally that freedom is Pervez Musharraf’s ultimate security. Whole some of us do tend to live dangerously on a fail-safe line that is based on the confidence that as long as we are not following a narrow personal agenda and it is in the national interest, Pervez Musharraf will invariably accept (and act on) good advice without having an ego problem. That supreme self-confidence has helped him maintain a remarkable composure during crisis. As the tension over the LFO between the Government and the Opposition mounts, the raison d’etre for the confrontation is “Johnny Cool” himself, calm in the eye of the storm and the winner either way (heads he wins, tails the other party loses) if Jamali and Party fail to convince “Qazi and Religious Brothers Inc”. A suspicion does arise, do the President’s political advisors really want an agreement, about the LFO with the MMA, or is the “filibuster” meant to keep the “democracy” factor going for international, and one daresays, domestic public consumption? The pulling of the rug from under the negotiations at crucial moments could be deliberately meant to embarrass and undercut the PM’s authority, making his position untenable. While the President himself seems quite at ease with handing over to the PM executive powers for day-to-day governance, his inner circle has wielded absolute power for four years, they will be jealous about surrendering their prerogative. This dichotomy of making “the President’s men” come to terms with the ground realities of an executive PM is necessary. Petty complexes and ambitions superceding national interests would be tragic; it could open a political Pandora’s Box.
Addressing a select band of foreign and Pakistani academics and intellectuals in a Seminar, “Major Powers and South Asia” organized by the Institute of Regional Studies (IRS) in Islamabad, the President was brilliant in his exposition. Pervez Musharraf gave a summarized but extremely logical analysis of the present international environment influencing events in Asia since 9/11. Finally turning its attention to Asia, the west now seems to be, in order of priority, viz (1) Israel and Palestine (2) Iraq, Afghanistan and Iran (3) India and Pakistan (4) North-South Korea and (5) China-Taiwan. For Palestine a road map is being implemented but with all the inherent suspicions and extremists on both sides, it is difficult going. In Afghanistan and Iraq, military intervention got mixed results, with the first portents of being bogged down. While the west is very much apprehensive of the nuclear flashpoint that Kashmir represents, other priorities have distracted US, UK and Western powers. Intellectuals like Prof Stephen Cohen, Dr Peter Lyon, Dr Rodney Young, etc reacted very positively to Musharraf’s extempore presentation, in casual conversation several remarked that they were extremely impressed with his confident appreciation of the geo-political situation, with eloquence and candour underscoring his sincerity. Credit is a must for Maj Gen (Retd) Jamshed Ayaz Khan and the IRS for organizing such an important seminar at a very appropriate time. Other “Think Tanks” in Pakistan must target in a factual and positive manner intellectuals who influence international public opinion. Pakistan is perennially the target of misinformation, “damage control” requires that foreign media and academic elite who presently base their analysis on perception be shown facts as they are on the ground before disseminating their conclusions.
The President’s other charm offensive was reserved for a primarily Indian audience composed of Members of Parliament (MPs), media persons, academics and social workers, etc attending the SAFMA-organized talks in Islamabad on issues between Pakistan and India. Even with consummate political players he can be lethal. Among the Indians present were former Bihar CM (and present MP) Laloo Prasad Yadav and senior Indian statesman Ram Jethmalani. The President spoke passionately about the need for constructive dialogue leading to lasting peace, pragmatically spelling out that ceasefire within Indian-Held Kashmir depended upon the cessation of abuses by Indian forces rather than any embargo on fighters crossing over the LOC. Kashmir will be the core issue to settle even though all matters should be put on the table for sorting out. As for two nuclear nations in confrontation, apocalypse will be the result if there is no solution. Musharraf repeatedly spelt out the need for peace; even hardboiled politicos like Laloo were convinced about Musharraf’s sincerity. The Indians were obviously overwhelmed by the warmth and attention they received in Pakistan, interaction with the President was clearly the clincher. Can this display of love and affection in Pakistan convert the BJP into believers of the necessity for India-Pakistan amity? If Musharraf is able to get the Indians onto the table for open-ended discussions on Kashmir, his Kargil gamble would have paid off; nothing risked, nothing gained.
We are living in “interesting times” and a lot will depend upon the nerves of one specific individual, the President of Pakistan. Pervez Musharraf is a consummate bridge player, he has turned a stacked deck both at home and abroad to Pakistan’s (and his) advantage. After a year’s hiccup because of the Referendum destiny seems to be breaking out into smiles again. But then again, the problems of leadership in Pakistan is endemic and remains, too much is depended upon by this nation on one man alone. For the sake of the country, if not for himself, will Pervez Musharraf’s legendary luck hold?
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