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How long can Musharraf hold the lid on Pakistani democracy?
Musharraf is popular in Washington. He is also planning to see a cricket match with Manmohan and Vajpayee. Things point towards his getting popular among Indian politicians too. However, internally Pakistan is boiling for the desire of having a freely elected democratic Government.
People in Pakistan want good relations with brothers and sisters in India. They want less Western influences and a genuine democracy. Musharraf is delaying the democratic aspirations of the people with a hope that such desires will eventually subside under the influence of time.
Political parties especially PPP of Benazir Bhutto is ready to take the matter to the people of Pakistan. Pakistani authorities detained Asif Zardari, the husband of Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto, upon his arrival in the northeastern city of Lahore on April 16th to prevent him from leading a rally. Islamabad denied that the senior leader of Pakistan People's Party Parliamentarians -- who was returning from Dubai where he had gone to visit his family -- was arrested. Police boarded the Aero Asia aircraft Zardari was on and escorted him to his residence.
Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf said that he would be willing to meet exiled Pakistan People's Party Parliamentarians (PPP-P) leader Benazir Bhutto, but not immediately, Reuters reported April 15th. Muusharraf explained that the PPP's planned rallies in Lahore - celebrating the return of Bhutto's husband Asif Ali Zardari from visiting her in exile - upset the possibility of the two party leaders meeting any time soon. In the meantime, Musharraf has arrested thousands of PPP-P supporters in Lahore and banned any gatherings of more than three people in anticipation of the public demonstrations for Zardari on April 16th.
Musharraf may be miscalculating democratic forces of Pakistan, which may eventually turn out a massive diplomatic challenge and a matter of serious embarrassment for the Bush Administration. Musharraf may think traditional projection of arms race with F16s may help Pakistani people forget about democracy, but that is not really happening.
The worst-case scenario for India and the rest of the world is that Al-Queda and similar militants form a secret alliance with democratic parties of Pakistan and a serious civil war starts in Pakistan.
Musharraf should focus on democracy. If he decides to stay in power, he should join the democratic norms of representing people and get elected by the Pakistanis.
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