From: ss733645@longs.LANCE.ColoState.Edu (Sohban Shahid)
Subject: Re: God help pakistan
Date: Sat, 21 Nov 1992 23:28:10 GMT
Reply-To: ss733645@longs.LANCE.ColoState.Edu
Organization: Colorado State U. Civil Engineering

In article <By1oqK.I1L@ecf.toronto.edu>, rairan@ecf.toronto.edu (RAI Ranjan) writes:
|> In article <gf3JGxy00iV405p1kR@andrew.cmu.edu> Asad Iqbal <ac46+@andrew.cmu.edu> writes:

                          [12 lines deleted]

Raj, I will try to answer your questions in sequential order and
begins with the first one:

|> 1)  Do you believe Pakistan would be better served with a democratic form
|> of government?

When you talk about Pakistan and its political structure then the
first thing that comes into your mind is its political base.  Infact
Pakistan has no political base that clearly fits into the domains 
of democracy.  Being and Islamic country they have to have something
different then the western democracy which in real time seems more
practical to many of us.  But the truth is that,  Islam itself
doesn't treat religion and affairs of state separetely.  So, the 
political base has no specific meaning in an islamic system. They 
have to have an envelope that covers both political and state
matters of the country, which definitely is not the western
democracy.  Now, if you consider their religion base it is as
fragile as their political base.  One of the main reason, why army
has ruled Pakistan more than its democraticaly elected people is that
over the time and decades both religious and political parties have 
failed to compromise on issues which might lead Pakistan to some psuedo
western democracy. Pakistan and people of Pakistan can be best served
if the members of legislative councils truely represents the people of
Pakistan, which they unfortunately don't.   

|> 2)  If so, then considering the fact that Mrs. Bhutto is the only Pakistanii
|> leader ever to be democratically elected, wouldn't you agree that she more
|> than anyone else should lead the pro democracy forces

Your if argument now has some more elseif's.  Well, there is something
which is not totally correct.  Benazir Bhutto is not the only 
democratically elected government.  She treats democracy as her slave 
and tried to use it, where ever it suits more to her.  Her political 
party has no democracy in it, itself.  Bhutto family is trying to main
a dynasty in Pakistan and many Pakistanis can't afford it.  When she
was in power, she broke the democraticaly elected Balochistan assembly 
with the support of an old army general (retired) and then later denied
her involvement.  Its real pathetic that when you are not in power every
wrong doing comes from the government side and when she was in power 
that undemocratic act was not from the government but and individual
act, means the poor army general.  In short, her credentials doesn't 
support the idea of giving her the lead of pro-democracy forces in
Pakistan.  BTW, PPP claims that it has its roots in all the four
provinces of Pakistan and this is not correct in its totality. 

|> 
|> 3)  If you agree with question 1 but not question 2, then who else should lead
|> Pakistan to democracy and why?

I don't think so that any one of them deserve to be the prime minister 
and president of Pakistan.  Certainly its the people of Pakistan who
can lead Pakistan to democracy.  The argument is simple and clear, b'cos
its their best choice in all.  But, the unfortunate thing is that they
are not ready for this difficult task.  They are playing in the hands
of few people who doesn't belong to them. Same condition in India, isn't it?

|> 
|> 4)  You obviously disagree with Mrs. Bhutto's tactics against the current
|> government.  What other tatics would you suggest she use? 
|> 

If she is a diehard supporter of democracy then all of her actions are
wrong.  B'cos she is repeating the same mistake which her opposition
parties have made earlier.  If she wants to leave an ideal, then she must not
follow the politics of 'arguments for the sake of arguments'. On the otherhand
for the betterment of country she and other old faces should first resign from 
politics and give chance to other people.  Must enforce something that
prohibits the enterance of old f**kups into the national and provincial 
assemblies.  Which infact prohibit herself also. Oh god, give us a break
from these scumb bags.

Mr. Nadeem has striked on Jamat-e-Islami on this issue but infact he has
some other problems which have to do a lot with freedom of choice and 
freedom of right but not totally with democracy.

-- 
I tried to import a GIF of Air Marshall Asghar Khan and I got a message,
that says: WHATTA A BUMMER
*********************************************************************

SOHBAN SHAHID                
Civil Engg. Dept.                (303) 491 7710/8204 (work)
Colorado State University        (303) 224 0397  (home)
Ft. Collins, CO-80523

*********************************************************************