Pakistan Burning

Over the weekend, Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has been busy: instituting "emergency" powers, removing vocal judges and basically instituting martial law could make any authoritarian leader's head spin. Many seem jittery and concerned over Pakistani President Pervez Musharfaf's weekend dealings - as the Wall Street Journal called it, a "second coup," and yet the White House isn't alarmed... yet. In an article in the International Herald Tribune, on Monday President Bush responded to the changes in Pakistan by choosing to focus on the positive, by reportedly praising Pakistan's former and continued cooperation in the war on terror, while adding "All we can do is continue to work with the president... to make abundantly clear the position of the United States." The IHT also quoted Bush as stating his hopes that Musharraf would give up his position of leadership in the army of Pakistan and begin to hold free elections "as soon as possible," while refusing to enter into questions of what hypothetical actions might be taken against Pakistan if Musharraf does not oblige soon.

One of Musharraf's claims is that the new emergency power will better help him to fight terrorism. No way, say some Pakistanis. The International Herald Tribune quotes one leading Pakistani political scientist, Rasul Baksh Rais, as disagreeing: "He was already free to do whatever he wanted to do in the tribal areas... This does not place Musharraf in a better position."

Some native analysts and Western diplomats see the real solution to the problem of rising terrorism in Pakistan in cleaning out the rural, tribal areas in Pakistan, where many claim the majority of terrorist acts take root. And some, according to the IHT, say the the true solution is so have Musharraf resign in his capacity as both army leader and politician, and to instead become a "civilian" leader to most effectively vanquish terrorism. The IHT quotes retired Pakistani general Talat Masood as believing that the long-term goal of democracy is the true cure-all: The major reason for militancy is lack of democracy and governance," Masood said. "They've been overlooked for short-term gains, and there are not even short-term gains anymore."

According to CNN, over 1,500 lawyers were arrested in Pakistan for protesting the new military state's military rule. The Associated Press also reported that Pakistani opposition groups believe 3,500 people have been "detained" by the government.

An interesting opinion piece was just written for the Wall Street Journal, by a journalist in Pakistan. The editor of the Friday Times and Daily Times in Lahore, Pakistan, Mr. Najam Sethi, is calling Musharraf's latest move a "Second Coup." Most troubling, he believes, is the dangerous combination of the "Provisional Constitutional Order (PCO)" and the commanding of a state of emergency and its ensuing powers. The PCO, Mr. Sethi makes clear, is especially adept at allowing President Musharraf to remove judges who have previously questioned his political maneuvers. In addition, the PCO also grants special powers to Musharraf and cohorts, extending political office terms. And over the last 72 hours, Musharraf's regime has enjoyed the wide-ranging power granted by this decree to remove and any all "hostile judges" from the Pakistani Supreme Court and other high courts, quickly bringing in new judges more receptive to Musharraf's aims. Sethi writes of the extreme danger of the PCO, and its central role in the turmoil in Pakistan over the last few days. The PCO, according to Sethi, is "...unconstitutional because it suspends part of the constitution without parliamentary approval. It lays the political system at Mr. Musharraf's mercy and whim." As Musharraf has attempted to explain away his actions, he has accused judges who do not bend to his orders of being in the way of effectively fighting terrorism. Whether or not this is the entire story, Sethi points out what is telling is that of "11 clauses in the proclamation of emergency, eight refer to the negative role played by the judges and the judiciary in challenging the military's use of force in the war against terrorism, the executive functioning of government and the economy." It doesn't seem so democratic once one realizes that this effectively bans criticism of the Pakistani leader and his government cronies. Another important question to ask is what will happen to Benazir Bhutto? Recently returning from political exile, Ms. Bhutto was scheduled to engage in a form of power-sharing agreement with Musharraf. Now this seemingly peaceful transition, which some hoped would also help to bring aboard more moderates to support the government and support the war on terror, must be put on hold as Pakistan, and the world, must decide what is to be done. Mr. Musharraf is no stranger to coups; however, now he must decide whether he would rather go down in history as a two-time coup engineering general or as a statesman who gave up his military ties and truly fought for the best for his people and the end to terrorism in Pakistan. Which will he choose? We can only hope for the latter, but your guess is as good as mine.