www.sacw.net - October 16, 2006

"We are tired of military rule"
A statement by some concerned Pakistani citizens


Greatly alarmed at the current state of affairs in the country, we, the undersigned, members of civil society, are addressing the people of Pakistan.

It is sad that even after 48 years after the first military coup, we are back to square one. Civil society lies at the feet of the army. At a time when leadership is desperately needed to cope with matters of vital importance and put the country back on the democratic path, Pakistan is ruled by a General in uniform who lacks both legitimacy and credibility.

Seven years after General Musharraf toppled an elected government and captured political power, the nightmare is not over yet. The result is the mess we are in today. A sense of defeat hangs over Pakistan. Today Pakistan has a disjointed, lopsided, topsy-turvy, hybrid political system - a non-sovereign rubber stamp parliament, a General in uniform as "President", and a figurehead Prime Minister - General Musharraf's calls "pure democracy". The people of Pakistan did not deserve this government because they had no choice in the matter.

The bottom line is becoming inescapable: thanks to corrupt, unprincipled politicians, ever ready to do business with the military ruler, General Musharraf will continue to rule 160 million people of Pakistan as a dictator with a democratic fatade.

The foundations of the 1973 Constitution have been shaken by a power-hungry General with the help of corrupt politicians and a pliant judiciary. He has turned the parliament and the judiciary into a
fig-leaf for unconstitutional and illegal practices.

In an effort to acquire political support, General Musharraf, has openly identified himself and the Pakistan army with one political party. The Pakistan army is a people's army. It is not so much an arm of the Executive branch as it is an arm of the people of Pakistan. It is the only shield we have against foreign aggression. It is the only glue that is keeping our fragile federation together. Why politicise it? Why expose it to the rough and tumble of politics? Why use it as an instrument for grabbing and retaining political power Today the biggest single burning issue before the country is how to reclaim the army from its abuse by a power-hungry junta who want to use it as an instrument for retaining political power.

Instead of extricating the army from the Waziristan quagmire where the American-led war against "terrorists" has resulted in the killing of innocent men, women and children, including security personnel, and the permanent alienation of Wazir and Mahsud tribesmen, General Musharraf jumped into the Baluch quicksand and opened a second "Front" against his own people in Baluchistan resulting in the tragic death of Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti, Similarly the much trumpeted accountability is a farce. Today, known corrupt holders of public office are General Musharraf's political allies and members of his cabinet. Even the economy shows little perceptible sign of recovery. Poverty has deepened. Educated unemployment is on the rise. Investors' confidence has not been restored, partly because the law and order situation shows no sign of improvement and nobody knows what the future shape of things will look like.

It is now abundantly clear that free, fair and impartial elections cannot be held in this country, if General Musharraf remains in power. We believe that Pakistan cannot survive except as a democratic state based on the principle of sovereignty of the people. Pakistan cannot survive except under a constitution which reflects t he sovereign will of the people, not the whims of one individual person. Pakistan cannot survive except under a system based on the supremacy of civilian rule.

Pakistan cannot survive except as a federation based on the willing consent of all the federating units. Pakistan cannot survive if the rule of law gives way to the rule of man. Pakistan cannot survive under military rule, with or without a civilian fatade, because military rule lacks legitimacy and is an anachronism in the 21st century. There are times in the life of a people or a nation - when the political climate demands that we overtly take sides. We believe that such times are upon us. A time bomb is ticking in Pakistan. The country is in deep, deep trouble. General Musharraf is not in tune with the zeitgeist of Pakistan. There comes a time when people get tired. We say today to those, who have ruled us so long without our consent, that freedom from army rule is not negotiable; that their interest and the interest of Pakistan do not coincide, that we are tired of military rule, tired of tyranny, tired of being humiliated, tired of being deprived of our right to elect our rulers. We say to them: enough! enough!

We have no alternative but to stand up and fight. for a new Pakistan - free, open, democratic, and a dynamic, developed, and steady country, standing on its own feet, in control of its destiny, genuinely respected by its neighbours and the democratic world. A country with a future. We can wake up today or we can have a rude awakening sooner than we think.

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