February 19, 2008...6:08 pm
To the Pakistani Left
Pakistan Labour Party’s spokesperson and a Left activist Mr Farooq Tariq wrote this essay entitled, “A Golden prospect to oust Musharraf” after the recent results of the election. Interestingly, Mr Tariq boycotted the election under the umbrella of the All Pakistan Democratic Movement (APDM). Now his renewed enthusiasm to make capital out of this victory of mainstream parties was a little hard to digest. Sitting on the margins and assailing the credibility of the political process is the last thing that Pakistan’s political class, especially by those who claim to be progressive, should be indulging in.
So I wrote this little note to him - hope he reads it.
Dear Mr Farooq Tariq
thanks for this analysis - but with due apologies your post dated defence of boycotting the election does not inspire much confidence. If anything the Left undermined itself by allying with General Hameed Gul and Qazi Hussain Ahmed. And now the strategy of the so called “pragmatic” political parties - the PPP and PML-N - to defeat the King’s party against all odds, has succeeded, you are terming it as a golden prospect. If anything the APDM contributed to a low turnout, cast aspersions on the legitimacy of the political parties - had it not boycotted the electoral process would have led to a parliament that might have had a two thirds majority of anti-establishment forces.
This will be remembered as yet another histrocial mistake of the Left or lack thereof in Pakistan. Pray, tell me how will you bring about a revolution while working with Qazi Hussain Ahmed? It escapes my humble mind and limited understanding of politics and history.This is my personal view and I am not trying to undermine any individual or party.
thanks, RR
Read the full piece by Mr Tariq below
A golden prospect to oust Musharaf
I wrote an article, “Can Musharaf Survive” on 25 January 2008. It starts from this paragraph,
”It seems that Musharaf is on his last leg. He has become the most detested and despicable president in the history of Pakistan. No longer are there progressives, liberals or moderates in his camp. His enlightened moderation has been buried with the passage of time”.
It goes on, “The Pakistan Muslim league Q (PMLQ), Musharaf favorite, is in absolute crisis after the recent shortages of food items, electricity and gas. The PMLQ candidates are the target of anti-Musharaf consciousness. The general perception is that if you are against Musharaf; do not vote for the PMLQ. Following Benazir assassination, the wave of sympathy has opposed the PMLQ. Unless there is an all-out rigging of the election, there is no guarantee that Musharaf supported candidates will win the election. If Pakistan Peoples Party and Pakistan Muslim league Nawaz (PMLN) candidates gain a majority in the next parliament, Musharaf will find very difficult to repeat what he did following the 2002 election, when he bribed many PMLN and PPP parliamentarians to join hands with the PMLQ to form a majority government”.
It ends on this note, “Boycott, or no boycott, the future scenario seems more and more problematic for Musharaf. His departure seems written on the front door of every home”.
We had understood the processes that were going on among the working class in Pakistan. Unfortunately, the Labour Party Pakistan had not the mass basis to bring this anti Musharaf consciousness to its conclusion, the end of capitalism and feudalism and for a Socialist Pakistan.
LPP along with other Left parties will continue to press demands for the total isolation of military from politics. Those responsible for atrocities under military dictatorships be brought in peoples courts, a real accountability for the generals in politics.
The vote on 18 February is vote of no confidence on Musharaf policies. PPP and PMLN must change the course of economic policies of Musharaf. Otherwise, with a brief period of honeymoon, they will be seen as those who have betrayed the wishes of masses.
The parties of the rich and capitalist, the PPP and PMLN have been able to capitalize on anti Musharaf feelings of the masses. They cannot go very far on the dictations of IMF and World Bank. There is no other alternative but to build a party of the working class. That is what Labour Party Pakistan is all about.
3 Comments
February 20, 2008 at 5:39 am
good post raza
everybody was so psyched up expecting a “rigged” election that they are caught unawares as it were!
musharraf must be chuckling
i have not seen mr tariq…. but i can tell you this…. i won’t miss the dour faced qazi or the know-it-all smirk of gul on the idiot box
February 20, 2008 at 6:28 am
Musharraf will not leave gracefully. He will have to be escorted out. That is his destiny. Musharraf has become a divisive force for Pakistan. He will not go on his own. He is a commando and will fight to the finish. So be it. In the bargain, Musharraf will expose himself to the hilt, until he becomes the proverbial “Emperor without clothes”. Nawaz Sharif will run Punjab, Zardari will run Sind and ANP (grand-son of Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan Marhoom) will run NWFP. Only Baluchistan was lost to the criminals.
All Pakistani Political Leaders must stand in silence for 2 minutes to honor the memory of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto, and to her wisdom when she preferred to fight it out (inspite of the crooks) and not “boycott”. (and that includes Mr. Nawaz Sharif).
Zardari and Nawaz can write history. Musharraf must be escorted out. Iftikhar Chaudhry & the other judges re-instated. Nawaz Sharif must re-kindle ties with India from where he left (THIS IS CRUCIAL and KEY).
Musharraf’s support comes from USA. He is completely alienated from the Pakistani citizens. A recent survey put his popularity in Pakistan at 8%. In other words 92 people out of 100 hate him., and want him out. But he will not go out..
Musharraf will not invite Zardari to form Government until he gets an undertaking that he would not be touched. Aetzaz Ahsan can be an ideal Prime Minister of Pakistan… or Nawaz Sharif.
February 20, 2008 at 6:47 am
whats with all this nonsense about giving the dictator credit for holding free-fair-peaceful elections. firstly, they were not fair neither peaceful. In ch. ahmad mukthar’s const., there was widespread rigging by the police in favour of ch. shujat, yet he lost because so overwhelming was the opposition to him. In sindh alone, there have been documented cases (at least 14) where armed men snatched ballots. In my own const. NA 250, MQM was up to its usual tricks and armed men stood over as PO’s went on a ballot stamping frency - all of which was captured by cell phone cameras. as for peaceful, over 18 reported deaths…and rising. people have died and sacrificed to ensure that those with plans to rig on election day itself did not succeed. shocking then to find people trying to give a tin pot dictator credit for not doing what he should never have! Thats the Pakistani elite and its politics for you!
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