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| Dr Farrukh Saleem |
President Asif Ali Zardari is up against at least three internal threats that have their origins in three different sectors – military, judicial and political. First: the generals of the Pakistan Army led by General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani continue to consider themselves the ‘ultimate guardians of the state’ and remain fully capable of bringing down a civilian government. Second: the judicial organ of the state led by Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry also has the potential of turning into a full-blown threat to the PPP-led government. The third threat, a purely political challenge, is posed by Nawaz Sharif.
The PPP government led by President Zardari has, over the past three years, proven its dexterity in not only identifying threats and potential threats but also devising effective strategies to neutralise the same. On the judicial front, the PPP’s strategy revolves around politicising the judiciary and attempting to deplete the judiciary’s only weapon of war, its credibility. The PPP’s blatant defiance of court orders is indicative of the PPP’s mindset – the PPP’s perception that public support for CJ Chaudhry is waning or divided at best.
On the political front, Nawaz Sharif remains the arch – and the sole – rival. Over the past couple of years, the PML-N has stuck to a strategy of supporting the PPP government, figuring that the PPP cannot find an enemy worse than the PPP itself. But Nawaz’s calculations are proving wrong and President Zardari seems to have outmanoeuvred his arch political contender to power by sharing the spoils of power with other political powers and singing ‘The Pina Colada Song’ off the album ‘Partners in Crime’.
On the military front, Lady Luck is in residence at the Presidency while the occupant sings “Lady Luck, Why don’t you pull up a chair, And bring your shine right wisdom.” As the generals, with their plates full, fight on with their own Frankensteins the singing at the Presidency goes on – “Lady Luck please continue smiling down on me, Because I have a dream no one can dream to undermine.”
The PPP’s flotilla sails the rough seas based on three critical assumptions. One – the court of public opinion is split on the Chaudhry court. Two – Nawaz Sharif, or Imran Khan for that matter, lack street power. Three – the ‘ultimate guardians’ have their plates full and thus no appetite for another brawl.
So far, assumption one appears to be holding ground but cannot be taken for granted in case of a head-on clash. Assumption two is weighty indeed. Assumption three remains valid but has an in-built tipping point – the ‘point at which the buildup of minor changes or incidents reaches a level that triggers a more significant change or makes’ the Pak Army ‘do something they had formerly resisted.’
On the night of January 24, President Muhammad Hosni Sayyid Mubarak, the former air chief marshal and Egypt’s despot for 30 long years, faced no threat – both from the military and the judiciary. And then, on January 25, protests erupted throughout Egypt.
Lady Luck just took a walk.
When all Mubarak wanted was some company.
Lady Luck just took a walk.
You know she walked right out on him.
Hard as it seems, but not as hard to believe.
The PPP government led by President Zardari has, over the past three years, proven its dexterity in not only identifying threats and potential threats but also devising effective strategies to neutralise the same. On the judicial front, the PPP’s strategy revolves around politicising the judiciary and attempting to deplete the judiciary’s only weapon of war, its credibility. The PPP’s blatant defiance of court orders is indicative of the PPP’s mindset – the PPP’s perception that public support for CJ Chaudhry is waning or divided at best.
On the political front, Nawaz Sharif remains the arch – and the sole – rival. Over the past couple of years, the PML-N has stuck to a strategy of supporting the PPP government, figuring that the PPP cannot find an enemy worse than the PPP itself. But Nawaz’s calculations are proving wrong and President Zardari seems to have outmanoeuvred his arch political contender to power by sharing the spoils of power with other political powers and singing ‘The Pina Colada Song’ off the album ‘Partners in Crime’.
On the military front, Lady Luck is in residence at the Presidency while the occupant sings “Lady Luck, Why don’t you pull up a chair, And bring your shine right wisdom.” As the generals, with their plates full, fight on with their own Frankensteins the singing at the Presidency goes on – “Lady Luck please continue smiling down on me, Because I have a dream no one can dream to undermine.”
The PPP’s flotilla sails the rough seas based on three critical assumptions. One – the court of public opinion is split on the Chaudhry court. Two – Nawaz Sharif, or Imran Khan for that matter, lack street power. Three – the ‘ultimate guardians’ have their plates full and thus no appetite for another brawl.
So far, assumption one appears to be holding ground but cannot be taken for granted in case of a head-on clash. Assumption two is weighty indeed. Assumption three remains valid but has an in-built tipping point – the ‘point at which the buildup of minor changes or incidents reaches a level that triggers a more significant change or makes’ the Pak Army ‘do something they had formerly resisted.’
On the night of January 24, President Muhammad Hosni Sayyid Mubarak, the former air chief marshal and Egypt’s despot for 30 long years, faced no threat – both from the military and the judiciary. And then, on January 25, protests erupted throughout Egypt.
Lady Luck just took a walk.
When all Mubarak wanted was some company.
Lady Luck just took a walk.
You know she walked right out on him.
Hard as it seems, but not as hard to believe.