Asia Times: Few tears for Sharif



	October 15, 1999	atimes.com

India/Pakistan

Few tears for Sharif
By Muddassir Rizvi

ISLAMABAD - Nobody in Pakistan is shedding tears in public for deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif, toppled by the army in a swift and bloodless coup. His many political opponents and the public are blaming his administration for the return of the military rulers, though civil organizations and rights activists are concerned about the future of democracy.

Sharif, his brother Shahbaz, who is chief minister of their home state, Punjab, and close aides including Information Minister Mushahid Hussain, are meanwhile in what the military calls ''protective custody''. However, Pakistan's parliament and the provincial assemblies have not been dissolved by army chief and coup leader Gen Pervez Musharraf. So far he has neither declared martial law nor named an interim government, keeping his options open and leaving people guessing about his intentions.

Gen Musharraf has the options of running the government, forming a multi-party national government, or asking Pakistan's parliament, the National Assembly, to elect a new leader. All the general has promised is to release a policy statement soon.

Sharif, whose Pakistan Muslim League won the February 1997 general elections with a large majority, had been losing popularity. A 19-party opposition alliance had been calling for his resignation, accusing him of rampant corruption and misrule, subverison of democracy and federalism, and concentration of power in the hands of the Sharif family and friends.

However, ''the army action signified that it was the democratic system in the country which had failed and this is a defeat to be mourned,'' said Asma Jehangir, a leading rights activist.

Ruled by the military for 25 of its 52-year history, Pakistan has now seen five elected governments dismissed since 1985 with direct or indirect support of the military.

But Sharif's political opponents are jubilant. ''Sharif was dividing the army through his shortsighted policies. It was Sharif's blunders that forced the army to take over. I congratulate the army a hundred times for getting rid of this fascist ruler,'' said Tahirul Qadri, chief of the Islamist Pakistani Awami Tehrik (People's Movement), a member of the Grand Democratic Alliance which was formed last month to oust Sharif.

A spokesman for the rightwing Jamaat-i-Islami, which maintains very cordial links with the military, refused to comment, saying they were watching the situation closely and would make a statement only after the party's central executive meeting.

The main opposition Pakistan People's Party (PPP) has also stopped short of denouncing the army takeover and instead blamed Sharif for pushing the army to take this extreme step. ''We hope that the military intervention will be brief and steps will be taken to revert Pakistan to civil rule and democracy,'' a spokesperson for the party said.

Although there is general feeling of jubilation, there is a fear that the army may cling to power. The ''military has done a wonderful job of kicking out a fascist government but they have no right to stay on. They should hand over power to a civilian rule as soon as possible,'' observed Afsarul Mulk, who has served as a member of the North West Frontier Province Assembly.

As troops moved through the cities on Wednesday, many Pakistanis danced in the streets and waved flags, celebrating the ousting of a prime minister who had become increasingly unpopular due to his authoritarian policies. ''Zindabad Pakistan Army,'' shouted a crowd of people in approval outside the state-run Pakistan Television headquarters in Islamabad as troops scaled the high walls to take control of the building on Tuesday night.

(Inter Press Service)

asian sex gazette