Musharraf

Less than two weeks after Pervez Musharraf resigned as the president of Pakistan, there’s a rift within the Parliament. The Pakistan Muslim League led by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif withdrew its support from the coalition government led by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), formerly led by the murdered Benazir Bhutto. Sharif broke with the PPP after the ruling party refused to reinstate the judges dismissed by Musharraf after imposing martial law last year. It seems the PPP’s new leader and presidential hopeful, Asif Ali Zardari, is afraid the judges might overturn an amnesty granted by Musharraf that cleared him of corruption charges.

(The more things change, the more they stay the same.)

Pakistan held their parliamentary elections and the people have spoken–they’re not happy the Musharraf government. With the vote-counting nearly complete, the two main opposition parties have secured 154 of the 268 contested seats with Bhutto’s Pakistan Peoples Party leading with 86; the pro-Musharraf party trails with only 39 seats. It’ll be interesting to see if Musharraf resigns as he said would if he lost the support of the Pakistani people.

(doubtful)

Since no one party attained the two-thirds majority necessary to take action against the sitting president, the opposition groups led by the PPP will likely form a partnership force Musharraf to step down or face impeachment.

The election also dealt a serious blow to the pro-Taliban Jamiat-e-Ulema party who won only three seats. Also, a coalition of Islamist religious parties, the United Action Forum, are projected to lose control of the North West Frontier Province, winning only 9 of 96 contested seats.

MORE: Hot Air

Pakistan President Pervez Musharaf on the first leg of his “European Tour” and speaking to an international assembly in Brussels decried the West’s “obsession” with democracy and pleaded for more time to allow his country to achieve higher standards of human rights and civil liberties. Musharaf said,

“While we believe in democracy and human rights and civil liberties please allow us time to reach what you have reached. And you have taken centuries to reach it.”

(what have you achieved in the last eight years, Mr. President?)

Musharraf explained that the “feudal, tribal environment [i.e. culture] in some…provinces” is a significant obstacle to democracy. This requires Pakistan to take a different approach to achieving it. Musharraf explains,

“Therefore in accordance with our environment we have to adapt democracy, human rights and civil liberties.”

Okay. Although there are various forms of democracy, the basic premise is that citizens participate in the governing of the nation; human rights are the basic rights and freedoms to which all humans are entitled; and civil liberties impose limits on government control over personal lives.

I’ll be interested to see how Pakistan “adapts” democracy, human rights and civil liberties to their feudal, tribal culture. Personally, I don’t think Musharraf’s heart is in it, and I wonder how long the West is willing to put up with his fence-straddling approach to leadership?

Scotland Yard has completed their investigation of the Bhutto murder and have come to the conclusion that al-Qaeda was responsible for her death. They also concluded there was no government cover-up, simply poor police work.

Still, they can’t say exactly who is responsible for the killing. Scotland Yard disputes the Pakistani government claim that Baitullah Mehsud, a tribal leader from the Afghan border area of southern Waziristan, was the master-planner. It appears Musharraf pointed the finger at Mehsud out of political expediency due to the militant’s link to al-Qaeda.

Scotland Yard has insisted their job wasn’t to determine who killed Bhutto, but just exactly how she died. How can they do that when they can’t examine the body, and the crime scene and Bhutto’s vehicle were sanitized within hours of her death? If “evidence” points toward al-Qaeda, where was this evidence obtained?

(the Pakistani government, of course.)

Bowing to international pressure and attempting to quell domestic unrest, President Musharraf requested assistance with the Bhutto killing from Britain’s Scotland Yard. In a nationally televised address, Musharraf explained,

“We have decided to request a team from Scotland Yard,” … “This team will work on the case and solve all the issues.”

Smart move? If this is a sincere pursuit of the truth, certainly, but I don’t think Musharraf is really interested in the truth. Musharraf said Scotland Yard would “assist” local investigators. I have a feeling this means limited access to information and witnesses for the British Team. Of course, Musharraf doesn’t need Scotland Yard returning home and announcing a lack of cooperation from the Pakistani administration.

It’ll be interesting to see how this pans out.

MORE: Captain’s Quarters

As expected, Pakistan’s President Musharraf is postponing national parliamentary elections for six weeks. Formerly scheduled for January 8th, the election of a new Prime Minister will not take place before February 18. Bhutto’s Pakistan People’s Party and Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League (N) have denounced the decision and are calling for elections to take place as previously scheduled. Mr. Sharif, who recently reversed a decision for his party to “boycott” the election, warned of serious repercussions if the elections are delayed and accused Musharraf of “trying to wriggle out of elections sensing defeat of his allies.”

Political analysts also agree that pushing-back the election date could renew the civil unrest that has subsided in recent days. So why the delay? The government’s says the reason for the postponement is due, at least in part, to the destruction of electoral facilities. Per Kanwar Dilshad of the Election Commission:

“Our offices in 10 districts of Sindh have been burned, the electoral rolls have been burned, the polling schemes, the nomination papers have been burned.”

Perhaps this is true, but elections should only be delayed if all parties agree. There are 124 districts in Pakistan and damage to offices in 10 of those districts shouldn’t be a show-stopper. I believe the government has a responsibility to take whatever steps are necessary to ensure elections take place on schedule.

MORE: In a related article, Spree at Wake up America discusses Hillary Clinton and her ignorance of the situation in Pakistan.

Former Pakistan Prime Minister and opposition leader, Benazir Bhutto, was assassinated today in what appears to be a suicide attack in the town of Rawalpindi, just outside Islamabad. She was killed along with at least 20 others after addressing a campaign rally in the small military garrison town. Her party security adviser said she had been shot before climbing into her vehicle, and then the bomber blew up.

The primary suspects in the assassination are “Islamic militants,” whom Bhutto openly criticized during her election campaign, pledging to “root” them out.

Of course the Islamists are the likely suspects, but there are others who stand to benefit from a Bhutto assassination: President Musharraf and supporters from within the military intelligence service, for one. After all, Rawalpindi, where Bhutto was killed, is the power base of the Pakistani army. Curious that Ms Bhutto was assassinated in the same town that her father, former Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, was hanged in 1979 after being deposed by a military coup.

And considering many previous assassinations of Pakistani politicians remain unsolved, it’s a distinct possibility (and I believe highly probable) Bhutto’s killers will never be identified.

Many are concerned Bhutto’s assassination will delay the January 8th elections. I think it will and expect President Musharraf to once again impose a state of emergency. I believe it’s inevitable–he wants this state of emergency and the authority he derives from it. Bhutto’s killing provides a convenient excuse…

MORE: Michelle Malkin; Wake up America; Hot Air; TPMCafe; Red State; LGF; The American Pundit; ComingAnarchy.com; Webloggin; Power Line