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Dissenting note
Friday, January 11, 2008
Dr Masooda Bano
Since Benazir's assassination, there has been no end to strange moves from the government. The fact that the scene of crime was washed up within hours of the crime was enough to raise doubts about the government's intention but that was just the beginning; events since then have only reinforced the doubts that the government has much to hide. The shifting government position over the precise cause of her death, the refusal to allow a UN investigation, preventing foreign diplomats and visiting dignitaries to visit her mausoleum, and more recently the move to book cases against PPP workers for destruction caused during the post-assassination period are desperate bids by a government, which clearly has a very messed up mindset.
It is still a bit of a mystery as to why the government officials thought that they could possibly convince the public that Benazir Bhutto died after hitting her head on the sunroof. Do they actually think that people are that gullible? But, worse was yet to come when General (r) Musharraf made a dramatic shift and claimed that yes clearly she was killed by bullets but that she was herself responsible for it as she was exposing herself to danger. Thus, the message is that in the state of Pakistan, no one should come out to take part in political activity because if they are shot or attacked it is their own fault for daring to come out. The fact that the state has the responsibility to provide adequate protection to ensure smooth functioning of such events enters nowhere in his calculations.
Exactly the same psyche is reflected in the government's move to register cases against PPP workers for the destruction caused in the post-assassination period. First of all, it is not clear who actually caused the damage to public property; the only party that has benefited from the destruction is the PML-Q as the destruction has been used as a pretext to delay the elections. Secondly, the question is that what gives the state the right to register cases against the PPP workers when it has itself completely failed to ensure law and order. Where were the law enforcing agencies when the riots were taking place or when the election commission offices were allegedly being burnt down? It has been a complete failure of the state to ensure law and order and it is amazing how the state feels no pressure to apologize for it.
The government biases have also been visible in the continued refusal to ask for UN led investigation into her assassination. The UN spokesperson has made it clear that they cannot send a team till an invitation comes from the government of Pakistan. The government, however, continues to refuse to extend that invitation. If the government has nothing to hide then why is it reluctant to let the UN lead an independent inquiry into the assassination? Similarly, it is again reflective of the petty mindedness of the sitting government that the foreign dignitaries wanting to visit the Bhutto mausoleum have been prevented from doing so on the basis of security.
Again whose responsibility is to ensure that the dignitaries are safe travelling within Pakistan? If General (r) Musharraf's regime has failed so miserably to ensure law and order in this country that now political leaders can no longer hold public rallies without being shot, the public cannot come out without the risk of facing suicide attack, public property cannot be protected and foreign dignitaries cannot travel within the country then is it all not a testimony to the complete failure of the current regime. This is enough proof that it is now high time for General (r) Musharraf to quit.
What is critical is for PPP to now be clear about it future strategy, whether it is going to continue with the policy of deal making despite the proof that deals with military general cannot work or is actually going to sit in the opposition. The bizarre bit is that the US is still advising PPP to carry ahead with the deal. If there is one individual which today is at the heart of the cause of disability within Pakistan that is General (r) Musharraf. Yet, even after all that has happened the US remains keen on ensuring his survival. The question then is simply: does the US want a stable Pakistan or chaos? Given its continued zeal to ensure General (r) Musharraf's survival the latter seems more of the target.
The writer is undertaking post-doctoral research at Oxford University. Email: mb294@hotmail.com
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