Pakistan: A dictator gone, but not his policies

Submitted by cathy n on 25 August, 2008 - 7:44 Author: Farooq Tariq, General Secretary of the Labour Party Pakistan

As General Pervez Musharraf announced his resignation — in an unscheduled nationally televised speech of one hour — private television channels showed an instant response of jubilation, welcoming the decision, in all four provinces.

Musharraf resigned as president of Pakistan as he was facing an impeachment move by the Pakistan Peoples Party-led ruling alliance of four parties. For the first time, not a single political party defended General Musharraf. Even Mutihida Qaumi Party (MQM) was not ready to defend him publicly, this, a party that he was associated with for long time.

There have been numerous occasions during the last year alone when General Musharraf could have lost power.

General Musharraf must thank the PPP leadership for providing him nearly eight more months in power after the assassination of Benazir Bhutto on 27 December 2007. He could have lost power then, if the PPP leadership had decided to demand his immediate resignation. For five days after the assassination, Pakistan was under siege by the masses. Unfortunately, the PPP leadership decided not to do this and to take part in general elections.

And after the elections the PPP opted to work with Musharraf.

After implementing highly unpopular economic policies, the PPP leadership lost popularity. Had they not taken a decision to impeach Musharraf, the General could have decided to remove the PPP-led coalition government. The PPP took this popular decision to change gears and reverse its unpopularity. This has paid off for the time being.

The departure of General Musharraf is some of the best news for a long time in Pakistan. It was defeat of the military generals and for those political trends always seeking refuge with the generals.

There have been many important struggles against the military rule during the last nine years of General Musharraf. The peasant struggle for land rights at Okara Military Farms during 2001-2005 set the tone among the most exploited strata of society. The ten-day national strike by the telecommunication workers against privatisation in June 2005 was another manifestation of workers’ consciousness against the military dictatorship.

The successful revolt of the Sindh masses against the building of the controversial Kala Bagh Dam and the three day general strike in Sindh and Baluchistan province against the killings of [Baluchi nationalist politician] Nawab Akbar Bhugti were the two other important struggles.

However, these revolts remained isolated in one or other part of Pakistan.

It was the militant lawyers' movement after the removal of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan on 9 March 2007 that was mainly responsible for the departure of the dictatorship.

Musharraf should not leave Pakistan without being called to account. It seems that the dictator Musharraf has been offered a safe passage and a luxurious retirement after his forced resignation.

A very popular demand has been to arrest Musharraf to face charges of murder and other crimes. General Musharraf must be arrested.

“Military out of politics” must be the main slogan for the future. 32 out of the 62 year independence of Pakistan have been under the direct military rule. However, no military general has yet been tried for the crime of breaking the constitution.

A new wave of class struggle will explode in Pakistan. The PPP government would have no excuse of not solving the main question of price hikes. The implementation of a neo-liberal agenda will be challenged by all sections of the working class. The PPP-led coalition has no other economic plan except to go the Musharraf way. They want to privatize the remaining public sector institutions. They want to remain partners with American imperialism in their so-called war on terror.

The implementation of a neo-liberal agenda will clear some of the dust from the real face of the PPP. An extreme right-wing party of the rich cannot base itself on the past reform agenda for long time.

A new era of class struggle will be a challenge for the forces of the left and social movements. The religious fundamentalist forces are in the field. Most of them have been seen wrongly as anti-imperialist forces. They have no solution the problems facing the masses. The left forces have to fight against the pro-imperialist forces and those who are wrongly seen as anti-imperialists. It is a difficult objective condition for the forces of the left, however, what other options are there for the left apart from fighting back?

A dictator gone, but not his policies. That is a real challenge that Labour Party Pakistan and other left forces are facing at present.

www.laborpakistan.org

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