The Lal Masjid
“Operation Silence” was meant to silence the ‘Red Mosque’ loudspeakers, and it
did silence them for the time being, but, as the time passes, that silence is
turning into heat. Musharraf is now in custody and every gun has turned its
barrel at him. It has timed with the release of Lal Masjid Commission report
that implicates Musharraf for the whole saga. As the turncoats have shifted
from loyalty to bigotry, new storm seems to be in the making. This all is the
cost Musharraf is meant to pay for his return to home country despite ‘saner
advices’. The man from the best of armies has apparently fallen into a trap. A
number of cases, including that of Lal Masjid, imposition of emergency, removal
of the super judge and dismissal of elected government, are now out to decide
his fate. What is on the surface seems to be gloomy. What is clear is the
revenge of time that it takes from the taker. Time may not spare him. But
daring was his step to stage a comeback. It is not that he didn’t know the
consequences. He is not that stupid that he could not exactly gauge the reality
of his following back in Pakistan. The ‘warm welcome’ at the airport, throwing
of shoe at him in the court, and manhandling of his bodyguards etc is enough a
humiliation for a former strongman, both a president and chief of army staff in
one. One must appreciate that he chose a difficult task. What the course of law
does to him is not clear but a group of terrorists, in a video message,
threatened to kill him “come what may”. Nawaz Sharif says he can forgive
Musharraf but law will not. As long as the law is in the ‘iron’ hands of Chief
Justice, Musharraf family should not expect anything called leverage. Still
people at the other end call it a drama but the ‘hero’, it seems, is destined
to become ‘villain’ very soon.
Whatever is his fate,
yet the ‘dictator’ was a “better democrat” and a “con economist”. What he gave
to this country was missing before. The mushroom of TV channels, now almost all
against him. The freedom of expression, no one – anchorperson or columnist –
spared him. The economy of the country would never be as strong, at least in
near future, as it was in his tenure. One doesn’t know whether Nawab Bugti was
killed by his orders, but I admire his gesture of sparing Nawaz Sharif’s life
who was meant to be his enemy number one at that time. Even, Musharraf was the
first to call Nawaz Sharif to condole his father’s death, offering him any kind
of facilitation in burial etc. He was open to media and available to speak,
though it proved to be counterproductive. He shouldn’t have written “In the
line of fire” that actually “ignited start of his downfall”. But if we consider
the army of today under Gen Kayani as a subservient force and a guarantee to
democracy, the credit must be given to Musharraf who handed over command to a
man who earned laurels at home and abroad. Today Musharraf stands arrested; the
credit must go to the legacy he had left. It may prove to be a long test of nerves
for him but the reality is, he has daringly come back, though we believe he was
better safe abroad.
The judge who issued
his arrest orders is said have record of corruption and failed election
attempts. He may or may have not been having personal or guided grudge, but the
fact remains that newspaper reports and columns, TV channel bulletins and talk
shows were full of demand for Lal Masjid operation. According to an analysis
made by the reference section of a strong media group, 92% reports and comments
criticized the authorities for not acting against, for delaying action and for
calling the army to launch a sweeping operation. According to another survey
conducted through social media networks, 42% people said “yes, it was right
decision”, only 4% said “army is to be blamed”, 23% said “army was just order,
it was government’s decision”, 16% said “no, government took the wrong decision”
and 3% said “the Lal Masjid authorities are to be blamed.”
Shakespeare
rightly said “when sorrows come, they come not single spies, but in
battalions”. This aptly describes the conundrum now facing Musharraf. “The
place called Pakistan has gone through centuries of invasions from outside
forces. This has conditioned the minds of common people and ruling elite. So
when anyone is in power then nobody questions his judgment. They just massage
his ego and tell him that everything is great. As soon as he is out of power
then all of them come with stones. All of them want to take their revenge.” This
is what is happening to Musharraf. None of his past colleagues gives any
statement in his favor. Nobody talks about billions taken away by the
politicians, under Zardari & Co. Law must take its course but before the
law declares him guilty, we as a civilized nation must not subject him to
punishment.
F
Z Khan, G-8/4, Islamabad
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