General Musharraf's albatross

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OPINION

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JUNE 23: Muttahida (MQM), is a political albatross around Musharraf's neck, weighing down not only him but also the peace in Karachi.

On Sunday they gave a three-month ultimatum to the government to rope in "jihadi terrorists" who, it said, were backed by the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA), or else it would be free to "decide about the future."

Its parliamentary leader Farooq Sattar accused a member of the Shabab-i-Milli, an affiliate of the Jamaat-i-Islami, of possible involvement in the murder of a Muttahida worker in Karachi on Monday.

When asked if the MQM would quit the government if its demands were not met within the stipulated time-frame, Sattar was evasive and said that if demands were not met, the party would consider it "treachery" and "double standards" of the establishment and the ruling elite.

Meanwhile, Christina Rocca, US assistant secretary of state for South Asia, stunned a congressional committee hearing Tuesday by asserting that Pakistan was more democratic now than before the October 1999 coup.

She said, when asked if Pakistan was more democratic than during the overthrown civilian government, “Yes, it is. There is a functioning parliament with a prime minister that is passing legislation. There are grassroots — there have been grassroots elections that went very well. There will continue to be elections.” She added, “They’re definitely moving on the right path, so much so that ... (sentence not completed).” She also thought that there would be more amendments by Gen. Musharraf to the constitution.

In a related development, amid heightened speculation about the political future of Mr. Jamali, the opposition parties in the National Assembly offered him a helping hand if his party PML (Q) tried to oust him.

There was no immediate response from Jamali as he heard representatives of the People's Party Parliamentarians and the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal making embarrassing offers to him on the last day of the general debate on the budget.

The speculation of Jamali's ouster intensified last week after President Gen Pervez Musharraf started sitting in his chamber in the Parliament House wearing his army uniform and meeting groups of parliamentarians from the coalition.

The MMA's Hussain Ahmed alleged that an "investment" of $10 million had been made to replace Mr Jamali. "The combined opposition is united for not letting 'Jabal-i-dervish' fall," he said, referring to the prime minister.

Acording to news reports, Musharraf sidelined Jamali as well as PML leader Shujaat by meeting their party's parliamentarians for hour and a half. Observers say Musharraf's move is to replace Jamali with Humayun Akhtar as PM and thus his meeting with coalition parliamentarians was an attempt to put all the ducks in a row.

But such a move is not possible without the support of the Muttahidas in the parliament, say analysts. It is highly probable that the Muttahidas, sensing the ensuing change at the center, have positioned themselves to play their cards again when time comes.

It is said that three months from now, around October, major changes, promotions and retirements are scheduled in the Army hierarchy. And with that batch-mix will evolve Musharraf's plan to shed or not to shed the army uniform.

Muttahida's three-months ultimatum by the way will expire on or about October, the same time the changes are orchestrated.

If Rocca is right in her postulation of Pakistan's latest moves towards democracy, every thing should sail through as smooth as gulping a glass of Lassi or else we'll know if we are back to October 1999 or heading somewhere else.

Till then God bless Pakistan!

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