Now that 5 Fasts have passed and I am still here, that is my nicotine addled brain has caught up with the rest of my body I can now pick up my pen again and start what I like best, to write.
The 6th of Sept is a pretty important day for Pakistan. We will vote in our next president on this day through a proper democratic process. Yes that is what it is no matter what anyone calls it or questions the legitimacy of the candidates, the process itself is the one which has been laid out in our constitution.
Coming back to the candidates its sure by now that the winner is going to be Mr Zardari the widower of Benazir Bhutto and the current co chairman of the PPP, the largest political party in Pakistan. Obviously due to his past indulgences in corruption(although nothing was ever proved) people are at the most sceptical of his prowess to turn this country around from the abyss of militancy and economic meltdown it is sliding in.
For a moment lets sit back and think how he might imagine to do just this. It seems that Zardari has the support of the most powerful institution in Pakistan that of its army. In order to get this support one has to promise a great number of things to the khakis without which the baton does not fall. Mr Zardari is known as the master of deal making and doubtless he has assured the army of many shiny new things as long as his leadership is backed and not sacked as the army has demonstrated in its countless past coup modes.
Insiders do claim that Mr Zardari is armed with Benazir’s grand plan. Under which a steady supply of billions of dollars from the Amreecis helps shore up our economy and keeps our army happy so that in return we can employ its full might against the militancy in the northern areas and crush this menace once and for all. With this menace gone we become free of security issues and the money keeps rolling in as foreign investors see a haven for their parking funds due to our strong banking and willingness to make rules to suit our clients.
Nothing wrong with this plan at all except for one teensy tiny thing. Will the pak army unleased at its full force be able to exterminate the militant threat? Because by now the entire coalition forces have failed to do so. They failed in Afghanistan(of which various large swathes are still lawless) and they failed miserably in Iraq(where they have limited control at best) Can we do what they could not??? I think this is what the future of this country depends on rather than any party or presidency or political process. If we can eradicate them then the rest of the puzzle should fall into place, we do possess quite sufficient natural resouces and skilled human capital to make the turn around. So basically it is through bloody war that we might be able to see prosperity in the end. I just hope it is short and sweet.
Update: Mr Zardari has won the presidential election, there is a sense of jubilation around bilawal roundabout and in the Clifton areas of Karachi. Fireworks to come later tonight, rut roh