Pakinstan is one of the most violent countries in the recent past. For something now, violence has been the order of the day. This year alone, violence-related activities and events have claimed many innocent lives and the death toll continues to increase in a geometric ratio with increase in number of clashes between Islamist groups and security forces. But from all indications, the situation is deteriorating and the embattled Pervez Musharraf administration’s efforts to bring the situation under control, seem not to be yielding the desired result. This explains why Musharraf is increasingly becoming unpopular among the citizenry. There is no doubt that Pakistanis have been experiencing uneasy moment since Musharraf came into office through a bloodles military coup in 1999.
From time to time, protesters in large number, would troop to the streets to condemn actions taken by government. The list of protesters in detention has increased. The political situation in Pakistan is worrisome. The crises that have occured this year started with the suspension of the chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Iftkhar Chaudhry, by Musharraf on March 9. Caudhry’s suspention incurred the wrath of a large army of protesters, especially lawyers who trooped to the streets to denounce Musharraf’s action which many regarded as a way of intimidating Chaudhry known for his strict adherence to the rule of law in all matters.But sometime in August, Chaudhry was reinstated by the Supreme Court. Earlier in July, the crises rocking Parkistan assumed a dangerious dimension when militant students, armed to the teeth with lethel weapons, in conjunction with radical clerics, clashed for a number of days, with government security forces at the at the famous Lal Masjid(Red Mosque). when the situation was brought under control, many casualties had been recorded on both sides.
Incidentally, it was during this period that Musharraf again, luckily survived another assassination attempt after his plane was fired at shortly after tak8ng off from a military base near Islamabad. This was just one of the several unsuccessful attempts to assassinate him since he ousted former Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif, 46, eight years ago.But since then, Sharif has been challenging Musharraf especially for his five- year term while still in uniform as army chief.
Many were surprised that in spite of supreme Court’s ruling that Sharif was qualified to return home from exile with his family, he was bundled into the next available plane and deported t Saudi Arabia shortly on arrival in the country last month.Government must have taken this unpopular action ahead of the october 6 presidential election having realized that the Presenceof Sharif in the country could threaten Musharraf’s re-election bid.Meanwhile, hundreds of Sharif’s supporters who were arrested on the eve of his return are still in detention.
Although Musharraf reportedly won the just-concluded election in which he was virtually the sole constestant, the supreme Court’s ruling concerning his disputed candidacy which is being awaited, would determine the next direction Pakistani politics would take by November 15 when his current tenure is expected to end. Whichever way it goes, this is a veritable ground for another crisis in the crisis-redden country. But of all the crises that have rocked Pakistan this year, the double blasts that occurred on october 18 near the convoy of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, 54, shortly on her return from exile are the deadlines and would remain indelible in the minds of many Pakistanis. Having claimed 124 lives and injured about 350, it remains the most devastating of all the crisis. And if not tha Bhutto was in an armoured truck, she too would have been killed since some Islamist groups and pro-Taleban militants had earlier vowed to assasinate her and Musharraf.