Imran Khan appeals for Sasta Tandoor Project

In-camera briefing: Making the army subservient

This step by the government is only the first of series that should be taken so that the Army can be forced to see the parliament as the source of executive authority rather than the GHQ.

I don’t think we should be expecting wonders on the first day - what I am hopeful for is that this will ‘wet the beak’ of the politicians and they will seek more such sessions from those who have deliberately and foolishly lead Pakistan away from the process of democracy.

Some more sessions of the military generals being forced to answer questions and finally, for once in this country’s history, made to sweat for their actions, and we will have the beginning of the end of the Army’s role as the arbitrator of Pakistan’s destiny.

Anyone who thought that merely restoring the judiciary would complete the revolution was living in a fool’s paradise. I was one of those who thought along these lines as well. The obstacles in having an independent judiciary with heroes like CJ Iftikhar Chaudhary restored are not really those placed by Zardari or the parties allied to him. It is the GHQ. Zardari and his cohorts with their allegations of corruptions do not have anywhere near as much to lose as the GHQ if an independent judiciary was given the power to clean up the rot and answer for all the great blunders - all of which were lead by the military - East Pakistan, Kargil, Siachin, and the policy on Afghanistan.

The step to convince the military to answer questions by parliamentarians is a first in starting the process to hold the Army finally accountable.

Already the politicians, particularly the opposition ones, have started to demand more answers.

Sources: The News, Dawn

Curbing army's role

Until and unless the army is made subservient to the civilian governments, the option for backdoor entries to power will remain.

It is unfortunate Musharaf wasn't tried for committing treason at least twice. There were a number of other charges he could have been tried on. For example, admitting to 'sell' Pakistani citizens to the USA or having them 'disappear' under the excuse of WoT.

Trying Musharaf was the proper thing to do and would have been popular.

Zardari's strategy to completely shut the Army out seems over ambitious and could prove fatal for him. Here's what it looks like:

1) Isolate the establishment and the Army by leaving them without any collaborators. Thus the logic behind making an alliance with the MQM, ANP, Q-League, and an uneasy one with N-League in Punjab.
2) Keep the Pakistan Army busy in the western border regions
3) Show the western powers, particularly the USA, that he is their most reliable ally
4) This isolates the Army both internally and internationally.
5) In this situation, sign a deal with India on Kashmir.

Once Kashmir no longer remains an issue, it'll destroy the basis for keeping a large Army. That will lead to justification in budget cuts for the armed forces.

Zardari has completed the first four steps. Let's see if he can complete the strategic plan.

Zardari's master stroke in Punjab

PPP increases wheat support price to 950 rupees per 40kg.

A little history:

ZA Bhutto is remembered by the rural voters - particularly of the Punjab - not so much for his ideological mumbo jumbo, but for the fact that he gave people a means to earn 'roti, kaprra, makan'. Namely the policies of providing everyone with a passport so people could go to the Middle East during the oil boom and send remittances, electronics goods, etc etc.

Secondly, and perhaps more relevant to today, was the fact that Bhutto gave farmers parity pricing for crops such as cotton and rice. This was a heaven sent opportunity as the farmers were nearly doubling their income by getting international prices for their produce.

These were the real reasons ZA Bhutto and PPP made Punjab their bastion.


Back to today, I think everyone was caught off-guard with the latest policy offered by Zardari's PPP.

The wheat support price has been raised to 950 rupees - nearly twice what it was not long ago (and up from 650 recently). After accounting for the elimination of subsidies in costs of input(s), this could easily translate into a 200 rupees plus increase in profits / 40 kg (mann) for the farmers come April.

70% of Pakistan's population is rural. It'll be interesting how the other parties sway the rural vote-bank. Of particular interest is how the PML-N responds. PPP is targetting to win Punjab back. It could not have come up with a better or more powerful policy than to increase the wheat support prices for producers.

Economically speaking, one should never hurt the producers. In that respect the PPP's policy is sound too. However, they'll offer a 10 billion subsidy to the consumers - namely those of the cities so that the prices for roti for the city folks don't go through the roof. But the city folks are only 30% of Pakistan.

But it seems like the PPP is more interested in the rural vote bank than the urban one. If no other party comes up with alternatives to PPP's wheat price initiative, it'll leave everyone else fighting for the smaller urban votebank. PML-N, PTI, JI etc will further end up in a war to canabalize each other's voters in the city.

I am sure the PML-N realizes the gravity of the situation. The ground may just slip from under their feet. But so should we in PTI. There is an anticipated district to district march of Chairman Khan later this month. What should we offer during those visits?

In the end, this competition is great for the Pakistani people and just goes to show just how and why democracy is beautiful. PTI opened just 3 tandoor in Lahore and PML-N and Shahbaz Sharif was running around trying to get the 100's of tandoors of Lahore and Rawalpindi to lower prices to 2 rupees per roti.

The political parties and their leadership know that they must work for their constituents. We may have an imperfect democracy, we may still not have the most important element of an independent judiciary, but it doesn't mean the people are out of reckoning.