The militant bigots are not tamed, they only wait for an opportunity to strike. Last week Agha Ziauddin, a Shia leader in Gilgit, was made a target resulting in riots and indiscriminate killings of innocent individuals of the opposite sect. Later when the victim died of his injuries, trouble flared up. Despite security arrangements government property was destroyed and a curfew had to be imposed.
NWFP and Balochistan are pain in the neck for Musharraf. Bugti champions Baloch nationalism but the attacks on Sui gas installations are for self-aggrandisement. When the government threatens army action, the politicians and the critics are up in arms and jump on the bandwagon to criticise and condemn, reminding the administration of the folly committed by ZAB in the seventies under similar circumstances leading to his fall.
In other words they do not want the government's writ to prevail in Balochistan too as in the tribal areas where hue and cry is raised on army operations to apprehend the foreign terrorists who are creating mayhem all over Pakistan. Rocketing Sui installations and setting fire to the pipelines are not local stray incidents to be ignored but amounts to terrorism to destabilise the government which justifiably calls for punitive retaliation. A lame excuse is put forward that the Baloch were enraged on the alleged rape of a local lady doctor by some army personnel.
Even if true it is not a plausible ground to attack installations, damage to which has dire economic consequences for the nation. As a matter of fact Balochistan has valid complaints for economic deprivation, which are being addressed by the central government through the provincial administration which has representation of the opposition parties. However, the Bugti and Marri tribal chiefs are not concerned about the common people but are motivated by greed for power and pelf for themselves.
MMA having failed to bring the people out on the streets to oppose Musharraf, realise that they have lost the political battle. They now maintain that Musharraf is not acceptable with or without uniform and call for election of a president who would appoint an army chief of their choice to reverse the secular and pro-American policies hitherto in vogue. This stand has necessarily lost them the support of ARD components in the opposition. PPP and BB are, therefore, marking time for a clean break. But the greed for immediate return to unhindered power prevents decision making.
With the departure of Abbaji who was the brain of the family, Sharif brothers have become intellectual orphans. They would like to return home and pick up the pieces of their lost empire but do not know how to go about it having opted for exile to save their own skins. The Chaudhries of Gujrat once forming the backbone of their support are now the rulers of Punjab (if not Pakistan) and are not likely to be of any help. Shahbaz is once again going to USA apparently for medical treatment but most likely to be available for political powwow with the rulers of Pakistan through the go betweens.
The third and the original exile Altafbhai of MQM has by now repaired his bridges with the army. He has succeeded in reinstating his parity in the power equation of Pakistan. Thanks to adroit handling of Ebad his own man as Governor of Sindh, the rivals Haqiqi have been neutralised. Presently it suits him to pull political wires from his comfortable abode in London. However, I would not be surprised if he is waiting for an opportune moment to stage a come-back.
Devolution programme may not be faultless in its details but is a step in the right direction towards grass root democracy. Instead of encouraging the process, the politicians and the bureaucrats leave no stone unturned in creating obstacles as it encroaches on their greed for power and pelf.
The union councils are passing through a difficult phase of learning and yet going by the examples of Naimatullah of Karachi and a few others, have done excellent work for local development and need to be strengthened in financial and administrative powers.
According to headlines in the newspapers this week Gilgit is on fire and Balochistan is burning in addition to Waziristan where fires are still not doused. The parties in the opposition constantly beat the drums of democracy to make capital out of the chaos.
Under he circumstances described the fire under the pressure cooker needs to be turned off lest the gathering steam causes an explosion.