MicroPakistan

Guest Post by Hassan Baig

(Accessible at http://pakistanmartiallaw.blogspot.com/2007/12/open-letter-from-aitzaz.html)

Barrister Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan is a leader in his own right. A populist leader even. Moreover, his read of the political spectrum and all developing eventualities is sensible and practical.

But perhaps not practical enough.

Ms. Benazir Bhutto is widely believed to be averse to the idea of the reinstatement of the deposed judges. In fact, she has gone as far as publicly chiding the lawyer community (and probably Barrister Ahsan in particular) to form their own political party if they so wish. This stand is understandable when seen under the light of the economics of it: the political and self-preservation costs to Ms. Bhutto of a reopening of her files by independent-minded judges are far greater than the costs of loss (if any) of the PPP’s public appeal as a result of her endorsement of the establishment’s agenda. Ms. Bhutto would never underwrite an option which pays dividends only in moral rectitude and not in monetary and/or realpolitik terms.

For someone so ethically-decided, it is abnormal how PPP loyalists endure in their support for Ms. Bhutto. It is almost as if her metamorphosis from her debut in 1988 to the skilful opportunism management she practices today has been completely lost on these supporters. Some quarters insist that Ms. Bhutto’s support is a product of her hereditary right – that many support her with blind conviction borne of the psychological guilt of inaction, engendered among the loyalists when her father was hanged till death without much ado. This is perhaps a major ingredient for Ms. Bhutto’s political adhesiveness, but probably not the only one. There’s also that promise – only to political heavyweights albeit – of garnering a high Internal Rate of Return[i]. And on some level, there’s probably ideological mesmerism involved too - at least for those few who are still motivated by overarching principles instead of material agencies.

Continue reading ‘A Macro-Analysis of Barrister Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan’s Open Letter’

What Musharraf must do now

Published: November 18 2007 19:26 | Last updated: November 18 2007 19:26

The current political situation in Pakistan is a perfect illustration of the maxim that democracy is about much more than voting. After declaring a state of emergency, dismissing most of the Supreme Court and locking up many leading intellectuals, it was inevitable that General Pervez Musharraf would come under pressure from his western backers to “restore democracy”. They do not want to endorse military dictatorship. And there are also tricky American legal requirements which might restrict the flow of aid to Pakistan, if Gen Musharraf is too openly undemocratic.

So the general is trying to oblige. He has declared that elections will now go ahead in January. He has, thankfully, begun to release some of those locked up under martial law. On Friday, the government ended the house arrest of Asma Jahangir, a leading lawyer. Continue reading ‘World Must Make Musharraf Restore Supreme Court — Financial Times editorial’

[Here’s a copy of the letter sent by the President of NYC Bar Association to the President of Pakistan. Also, below is a letter by South Asian American Forum Action Fund which was sent to each member of Congress. Since the US plays such a key role in Pakistan’s domestic policy we must also keep an eye on what’s being said there.]

NYC Bar Association President’s letter to the President of Pakistan

Dear General Musharraf:

I am writing on behalf of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York. The Association is an independent non-governmental organization with more than 22,000 members in over 50 countries. Founded in 1870, the Association has a long history of dedication to human rights, notably through its Committee on International Human Rights, which investigates and reports on human rights conditions around the world, including within the United States.

We write to you today to express the Association’s grave concerns regarding the situation in Pakistan. Continue reading ‘NYC Bar Association President’s letter to the President of Pakistan’