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| Bloodbath on Bhutto's home coming feared to push Pakistan into civil was` | | | Early Times Special Correspondent
Jammu | Oct 19
The Pak Army Chief General Musharraf snatched power in the country through a cope, which was totally bloodless, without even a short fired. But the restoration of civilian rule, if at all, in the country is feared to be the bloodiest one in the history of Pakistan, going by the bloodbath witnessed in Karachi, on the occasion of return to her country, by a former Prime Minister, Benazir Bhutto after eight years exile. The tumultuous reception accorded to the Pakistan People's Party leader, Benazir Bhutto, by her supporters, estimated to be one lakh, in number who had come from all parts of the country, yesterday, was marred with explosion of two powerful blasts killing 165 people, as per the official version, whereas the private sources count the death toll to be much higher and wounding of over 600 people. Since the blast which took place at 12:15 pm along the route of procession accompanying Bhutto, most of those killed and wounded are believed to be activists of PPP. While the official sources have blamed the terrorists belonging to Al-Qaeda and Taliban outfits for the blasts, the husband of Benazir Bhutto, Zardari has appointed accusing fingers on the ISI the secret Pakistan intelligence agency, for the dastardly act.
Pak President, Parvez Musharraf, who had earlier advised Benazir Bhutto to put off her return to the country, till the Supreme Court decision over his action in granting amnesty to Bhutto and her husband, against charges of corruption leveled on them, in the wake of which she had left her country, as also the court decision about the legitimacy of Musharraf's own re-election as President of the country, while remaining in Uniform, can now take the refuge that he had pre-warned Bhutto of the feared consequences if she returned the country under the existing fluid situation. He can also attribute the terrorist attack, which was obviously aimed at Mrs. Bhutto, to be provoked by her statement in London only recently that if she comes to power in Pakistan she would allow United States to capture or kill Al-Qaeda Chief Osma-bin-Laden and other deadly terrorists belonging to Al-Qaeda and Taliban outfits. Mrs. Benazir Bhutto had herself expressed apprehensions of attempts on her life, when she returns her country. But she had not made it clear from which source she feared attempt on her physical elimination in Pakistan, leaving ample scope for speculations that her needle of suspicion also fell on President Musharraf and her ruling establishment. Although under pressure from President Parvez Musharraf's virtual mentor USA Musharraf had entered into a power sharing deal with Benazir Bhutto, which facilitated Musharraf's re-election as President, with a law makers belonging to PPP not resigning under protest as was the case with other opposition parties and in lieu of it the general announced amnesty for Bhutto, the deal was not believed to be final. Both President Musharraf and Benazir Bhutto are apprehensive of each other's sincerity and genuineness in entering the supposed unwritten deal. The struggle for power between the two sides was to ensue sooner than later, it was generally believed.
As the things stand today Pakistan is divided among four main forces. On one hand is President Musharraf, his supporters in the PML(M), which is called as King's Party and Musharraf loyalists in the army, to ensure the maximum support of whom in any war of supremacy in the country, the President has nominated his most trusted army officer to replace him after he sheds his uniform and takes oath as civilian President as per assurance given by him to the Supreme Court of Pakistan. Musharraf has also the solid support of USA and other western powers, who still believe him to the best bet and dependable ally in their war against Al-Qaeda and Taliban localized in North western area of Pakistan, bordering Afghanistan. On the other side are the supporters of Benazir Bhutto, who are opposed to any interference of country's armed forces in the political affairs of the country, but who like Musharraf are supported by the USA and who are committed to fight relentlessly against the Al-Qaeda and Taliban terrorists. There is a third group which comprises of Mullah-Military-Militants nexus, who are deadly opposed to USA and other western countries, believing them to be the biggest enemies of Islam and an obstacle in their way of establishing fundamentalist Islamic state in Pakistan as well as once again in Afghanistan. Some elements in Pak army are still having close links with the Islamic fundamentalists and terrorists. Then there are the true democrats among the civil society though the numbers of vowels among them is limited, who are opposed to the continuation of army rule as well as American hegemony over the country. They are also against the Islamic fundamentalist and terrorist and in favour of Pakistan to become a modern progressive state. This group, which comprises of intellectuals, including lawyers, writers and other professionals, have already fought a successful non violent battle in the country by forcing Parvez Musharraf to reinstate, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Iftkhar Choudhary. It are they who have paved way for any hope visible in the country at present for end of army rule in the country.
Thus divided into various forces, Pakistan is threatened to be sitting on the fence of civil war, of the type witnessed in the last three decades in their neigbouring country, Afghanistan, in which Pakistan played a major role by exporting, engineering and actively supporting Islamic Jehadis, who have now become a head ache for Pakistan itself. |
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