Aitezaz has it tough

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCD_XN9naZc

Aitezaz's continuing insistence that the PPP is his party and he can never leave it,  adds fuel to the fire.  When he arrived at Lahore Airport with the CJ on January 24, 2009, he was hounded by lawyers and political activists chanting:  "Bibi kis nay maaree hai?  Zardari hai! Zardari hai!"  

That slogan, even if of dubious credentials, was yet another beckoning call made previously, that Aitezaz's current role of leadership demands he completely distance himself from his party of many decades.  

Aitezaz has it tough.  At best, people give him the benefit of the doubt by saying he has been 'misunderstood'.  After being the leading face of the lawyers movement since March 2007, the bad taste of the long march in the summer of 2008 was attributed toward him.  That the successful long march failed to achieve the result of restoring the judges was a big let down.  Aitezaz chiding the crowd for wanting the 'dharna' added insult to injury.  

It remains to be seen how the next month's long march turns out, but Aitezaz, though still trusted by Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhary, no longer commands the trust as the unquestioned leader.  

Lawlessness rising in Lahore

The article in The News gives the stat that street crime this week was 50% higher than the previous one.  What's particularly perturbing is that the police, commonly known to collude with criminals, have no qualms engaging in crime these days.  The ease with which the police contribute to crime is remarkable.  However, I wonder if political instability is an invitation for criminals (and eager policemen) to do their rounds with ease.  

However, there is another side to this.  

Yesterday a distant uncle was driving with his wife and daughter to the motorway via the Canal Road.  As they entered the Canal Road off of Ferozpur Road, a few men in a car started driving parellel to them and took out their hand guns indicating uncle to pull over.  A tractor-trolley was plying the road in front which uncle used to maneavre himself out of the threat and speed away.  The robbers were left stranded in the rear.  Apparently.  

Some miles down on Canal Road, uncle came across three policemen in their patrol car.  He informed them of the robbers who were just left behind.  While Uncle is explaining to the police, the robbers arrive again and first pull out their guns at the police who promptly run away.  I do not know if the police who ran off were armed or not.  However, the robbers then turn to their road victims and take away the mobile phones and cash before driving off into the sunset.  

Comparing the two stories, I am not sure if we would be safer if the police or not.  If arming the police is equivalent of giving them a license to rob, it is a rather self-defeating exercise.  

History of legitimizing despots

"Those who had power, could usurp it.  After assumption of power, he was recognized the legitimate ruler.  It was argued that to keep law and order in the society and to prevent anarchy in the country, the man in power should be recognized as a legal ruler.  Thus, military power became the sourcee of legitimacy and the society readily recognized all powerful military leaders as sovereign in order to get protection.  All crimes of a powerful military leader were concealed once he came to power. " 

- Historian's Dispute (Dr. Mubarak Ali), page 23

The above could have been an explanation for Pakistan's recent history.  Yet it was placed in the context of the Sultanates of nearly 1000 years ago, a period that witnessed a rapid changes in leadership.