World Affairs Board - View Single Post - PU will pay Rs 50,000 for 5-year PhD

Ray · 04-09-2006, 15:20 PM

Quote:

Sunday, April 09, 2006 E-Mail this article to a friend Printer Friendly Version

VIEW: Two chief ministers and President Musharraf —Dr Hasan-Askari Rizvi

A Punjab-based non-government organisation (NGO) has brought to public notice that the Punjab government plans to continue inducting army officers in the Education Department for monitoring assignments. This system was introduced in 1999 for three years. It was extended in 2002 and has continued. The NGO argued that there was no justification for inducting ex-service personnel in the Education Department when qualified civilians were available

It seems that the chief ministers of the Punjab and Sindh are competing with each other to establish their respective credentials as a Musharraf loyalist and a friend of the army. The exercise is meant to secure a prominent role in their respective provinces in the forthcoming general elections.

To sustain them in power and for neutralising intra-party rumblings against them, the two chief ministers need the blessings of President General Pervez Musharraf. If the president withholds his support both chief ministers are expected to face challenges — if not revolts — from within the party. The Sindh chief minister’s troubled relationship with the former provincial minister, Imtiaz Sheikh, is kept within manageable limits mainly because of the federal government’s blessings.

Positive interaction with President Musharraf facilitates the cooperation of the federal government, which in turn helps the provincial governments deal with administrative and political problems. This also enables the provincial governments to deal effectively with their major political adversaries, i.e. the Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Sharif group (PML-N).

Two other considerations make the president’s blessings imperative for both chief ministers. The return of Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif to Pakistan for electioneering poses the most credible challenge to the provincial PML leadership in the Punjab and Sindh. Without the full backing of the federal government the provincial PML leaders will not find it easy to cope with Ms Bhutto and Mr Sharif. The threat of these leaders’ return will keep the two chief ministers close to the president and the federal government.

Further, one is not sure at this stage about the president’s plans for setting up caretaker administrations at the provincial level after the dissolution of the provincial assemblies. The present chief ministers might like to continue as heads of the caretaker administrations. If that is not possible, they would like a person of their choice to hold this position. This underlines the importance of a relationship of confidence and trust with the president who will appoint the caretakers. He will definitely like the PML and its allies to do well in both provinces, neutralising the PPPP and the PML-N. However, this does not necessarily mean that the president has to rely on the present power configuration in the Punjab and Sindh.

The Punjab chief minister is more secure than his counterpart in Sindh. He has a relatively firm hold over the PML, although simmering discontent is noticeable. The Sindh chief minister faces greater pressure from his PML colleagues and other allies. He has also to ensure that the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief, Altaf Hussain, supports his government. After all if the MQM decides to abandon him, he may find it difficult to hang on to his office unless the presidency’s intervenes on his behalf.

The Punjab chief minister supports President Pervez Musharraf’s policies and wants him to continue in both offices even after the forthcoming elections. While addressing the PML public meeting in Lahore on March 23, the chief minister said that the PML would “re-elect General Musharraf president-in-uniform to ensure continuity of his policies which had saved the country from default and being tagged as a terrorist state.” He continued, “No matter whether somebody likes the idea or not, the PML will elect President Musharraf for another term.”

The Sindh chief minister also addressed the public meeting and endorsed the leadership of General Pervez Musharraf for the next term. He said that the PML “would re-elect him (President Musharraf) for another term and it was for him to take a decision on his uniform. We want General Musharraf to continue to lead the country.”

These statements reflect the overall tone of both speeches. The speakers endorsed President Musharraf for another term even if he continued to combine the presidency with the command of the army. In fact the undercurrent of the speeches was that he should hold on to the post of the army chief. These statements were quite close to what Dr Sher Afgan Niazi, the federal minister for parliamentary affairs, said on September 21, 2005 i.e. there was “no bar on Musharraf to resign as COAS to contest for the next tenure as president.” Dr Niazi had also said General Pervez Musharraf was “a lifetime chief of army staff”.

The Punjab chief minister has made two significant moves to appease the army. The Punjab government will soon recruit 50 army officers of the rank of major to serve as the district highways patrolling officers to supervise the highway police in the province. This has caused resentment in the police force as the career advancement of many officers is threatened by this move.

A Punjab-based non-government organisation (NGO) has brought to public notice that the Punjab government plans to continue inducting army officers in the Education Department for monitoring assignments. This system was introduced in 1999 for three years. It was extended in 2002 and has continued. The NGO argued that there was no justification for inducting ex-service personnel in the Education Department when qualified civilians were available. Now, the planned induction in the police causes concern among the officers who would lose legitimate opportunities for career advancement.

More retired and serving military (mainly army) officers have been inducted in civilian jobs in government and semi-government institutions under General Pervez Musharraf than any previous military ruler. The retired military officers serving on civilian assignments no longer mention their rank and the serving officers have been advised not to wear their uniform on civilian assignments. This helps make less visible the presence of serving and retired military personnel in civilian jobs.

For civilian institutions the induction of military officers to civilian jobs and the phenomenal expansion of the scope of commercial, industrial, real estate development and related activities of the military and its five welfare foundations is demoralising. The civilian institutions have been overwhelmed by the military. This does not augur well for the future of democracy and promotion of socio-cultural tolerance and political moderation.

A section of the political elite has cooperated with the military in its bid to expand its non-professional activities and interests. In order to advance their political careers, they have cultivated the top commanders, encouraging the latter to maintain their grip on the civilian affairs. This arrangement serves the immediate power needs of the senior commanders and a section of the political elite but it undermines the development of vibrant and viable civilian institutions and processes. This also causes a rift between the military and sections of the civil society that do not want to get on the military bandwagon.

If Pakistan is to cope with its internal problems, the crisis of trust between the civil and the military institutions has to be overcome. This can be possible only if the generals make space available to the genuine leaders of the people and stay away from sycophants. The top commanders need to make a cool-headed and dispassionate analysis of the current political situation and pay attention to strengthening the civilian processes. Elections alone will not stop the current political drift. Alternatively, they can hold on to power with the help of a section of the political elite but such narrow based arrangements do not endure.

Dr Hasan-Askari Rizvi is a political and defence analyst
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default...9-4-2006_pg3_2

If Army men are to head Education, then there will be very little to show. It is not that the army men cannot do so, but they are rather regimented and in education, there has to be the freedom of thought and action. The minds must be actively fertile ands free.

In so far as toadying to Musharraf, it is an old disgusting habit of ji huzoori and saluting the rising sun!.