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| India-Pakistan |
| Musharrafâs lust for power: seeks to rule seven more years |
| 2002-09-14 |
| Pakistanâs self-appointed President General Pervez Musharrafâs lust for power was evident conspicuously when he spoke about âseven more yearsâ to fix the problems of Pakistan. However, his opponents say that when a person canât do any good thing in three years, what to expect from him in the next seven years or so. He's been pretty busy for three years. I'd call the task hopeless, myself, but he's usually been trying... Addressing a select group of Pakistanis here who were gathered by the Pakistan Embassy in United States by spending public funds, General Musharraf also made an attempt to appease his hosts in the United States by insisting that Pakistanâs culture and complexion needs massive surgery â in simple words Pakistan needs to be Americanized. Hey, sounds good to me. You don't get much more antithetical than Pak's culture right now... The rent-a-crowd type gathering, as put by a Pakistani newsman, was almost the same who had heard Ms Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif on their holy sojourns to the Land of Fortunes in yesteryears. They always gave a big hand to Pakistani leaders but to Musharraf, flanked by Abdul Sattar Edhi, they gave a standing ovation. "They like me! They really like me!" "Give me seven years and I'll change the complexion and culture of politics in Pakistan", he pleaded with a lust of power in his eyes and the willingness to push the US agenda in Pakistan clearly visible in his words and tone. No ruler wants to quit the power but Pakistanâs military rulers are notorious for keeping the power until they are forced to quit with humiliation. So're Pakistan's civilian rulers. And so're its fundo wannabe rulers. A national trait? "You may be surprised to find a man of uniform talking about politics", he said with an awareness of his own predicament, "but let me tell you, I firmly believe in democracy" â a joke that amused the audience who were heard whispering that what a pity is it that the person who killed the democracy in Pakistan is labeling himself as a democrat. Perv realizes there's a difference between democracy and anarchy — as is demonstrated by the situation in his own country. And I think he realizes that the opposition's no more interested in democracy than they are in making ham sandwiches the national dish. |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |