Pakistan's Enduring Strife Echoes in San Francisco

San Francisco
November 25, 2007

In view of hundreds of shoppers taking advantage of after-Thanksgiving sales, about two dozen supporters of former Prime Ministers of Pakistan, Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif, protested at Union Square yesterday afternoon.

On park steps facing Neiman Marcus and Macy's department stores, they unfurled a banner with a picture of a nuclear bomb, waved Pakistani flags and protest signs-- and shouted: "No Musharraf No!"

They were referring of course to General Pervez Musharraf, the dictator who has ruled Pakistan since 1999 and who appointed himself president of the country in 2001.

Despite increasing doubts in Washington about his reliability as an ally of George W. Bush and his international "War on Terror"-- Musharraf and his regime have been the recipient (with Congressional support) of over 11 billion dollars (about half used to pay debts and half for military aid) since September 11, 2001.

Pakistan, the sixth most populous country in the world has the second largest Muslim population in the world-- and it has nuclear weapons aimed at its neighbor, India. (Interestingly, Musharaff signed a trade deal today with Chinese President Hu Jintao which would "boost defense, energy and trade ties. Nuclear energy cooperation was the key component of their talks." http://tinyurl.com/2y77mu)

Without doubt, rapidly unfolding events and long-time jarring factions in Pakistan present many puzzles to observers worldwide. Will Benazir Bhutto or Nawaz Sharif make a deal to share power with Musharrif (Bhutto has suggested the possibility, Sharif has said "No.")? What influence will the United States and the international community exert? (Bush recently sent John Negroponte to pressure Musharraf to release political prisoners. Britain's 53 nation Commonwealth has suspended Pakistan from its membership.)

United by their dislike of Musharraf-- the protesters at Union Square voiced their hope for a radical change-- almost a miraculous change-- in Pakistan's direction. They declared their support of a ten-point resolution adopted by representatives of the PPP in California, stated thus:

1) WE WANT REAL DEMOCRACY NO DICTATORSHIP
2) NO MUSHARRAF NO
3) MUSHARRAF MUST RESIGN
4) RESTORE 1973 CONSTITUTION
5) RE-INSTATE JUDICIARY
6) LIFT BAN ON GEO TV
7) FREE ALL POLITICAL LEADERS AND WORKERS
8) ESTABLISH AN INDEPENDENT ELECTION COMMISSION
9) ARMY MUST GO BACK TO BARRACKS
10) WE WANT TO END THE EMERGENCY

Said one protester, K. B. Bhutto (a cousin of Benazir Bhutto), when asked what advice he would give George W, Bush with regard to Pakistan, he said: "I want democracy... real democracy all over the world! I request that Bush support Democracy... not Dictatorship!"

Links for more information:

Pakistan Sinks Deeper Into the Night by Tariq Ali
http://www.counterpunch.org/tariq11042007.html

Pakistan article in the Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pakistan

Pervez Musharraf article in the Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pervez_Musharraf

Benazir Bhutto article in the Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benazir_Bhutto

Nawaz Sharif article in the Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nawaz_Sharif

Pakistan Peoples Party in California
http://pppcalifornia.org/index.html

Pakistan Muslim League
http://www.pmln.org.pk/

Missing in Pakistan (an excellent 30 minute film which looks at human rights abuses in Pakistan)
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2007/11/24/18463280.php

Recent Developments in Pakistan
http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/newsroom/blog/#nov2307pak
http://www.nationmedia.com/dailynation/nmgcontententry.asp?category_id=1&newsid=111216

A Terse Statement from a true believer in the War on Terrorism
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/11-05-2007/0004697987&EDATE=

The truth of Washington's bi-partisan interests
http://www.topix.com/us-senate/john-kerry/2007/11/lawmakers-question-us-aid-to-pakistan

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