Who says Musharraf is in a tight spot ?

It is win win situation for the Pakistani General
 

The analysts who are predicting Musharraf's downfall are fools. They have neither understood the General nor the Pakistani character. Can one ever recall any popular uprising in Pakistan since it came into existence? You will not find a single instance. Even when someone like Nawaz Sharif, who came to power as the almost unanimous choice of Pakistani people, was thrown out of power, arrested, sentenced, and banished by the General, there were no major protests.

But military coups are regular features of Pakistani history. It is the military that matters in Pakistan and not the Maulavis and Mullas. They operate within the parameters set by the military. And all that intense drama that you see on the streets of Pakistani cities is a well orchestrated programme designed to make it look as if the general is sacrificing a great deal in extending his strategic support to the US.

The US leadership thinks Musharraf is helping them; the reality is Musharraf has baited them.

If they take the bait, as is the probability, they will get nothing. On the other hand Musharraf will get what he wants - the dollors, military hardware, and other support such as the Most Favoured Nation status and unhindered continuation of Pakistan's nuclear programme.

The US may get Laden or may not get him. It makes no difference to Musharraf. In fact it will help Musharraf more if the US gets entangled in Afghanistan. The US will be totally dependent on Pakistani support and then the General will extract his pound of flesh.

It is not Islam that is the reason of Pakistan's existence as some may believe. It is hatred for India that drives an average Pakistani mad. Osama Bin Laden's Jihad against the great Satan, the US, was never shared by Pakistanis. They always wanted to be in the good books of the US and time and again demanded its intervention in Pakistan's affairs. Even the politicians like Benazir and Nawaz Sharief look to the US for their reinstatement in the political mainstream of Pakistan.

So, who is sitting pretty in the whole scenario? Musharraf and Musharraf alone. Bush, like an average American fool, does not know what he is getting into. He is being entrapped.

Swashbuckling Bush should have paid heed to one of the statements of Musharraf. The general claimed in his speech that Pakistan is the citadel of Islam. What did he mean by this? He also implied that the citadel had to be protected even if it leads to sacrificing Laden or the Taliban regime. The message was directed at the Islamic nations. And they know what Musharraf meant by that. They also know why Pakistan's vital assets, nuclear capabilities, have to be protected at any cost. Only the US does not understand this because it is too involved in the middle game, unaware of the probable end game positions. The country that produced Bobby Fisher has forgotten to play chess. Pakistan is the hidden pawn sitting pretty in a corner waiting to move when the end game begins. The US beware.

Bush and Powell have to think a little more clearly to understand the mindset of Pakistanis. They consider Pakistan their cold war ally because it helped them drive the Soviets out of Afghanistan. What actually happened in the Afghan war? What strategic interests of the US were served there finally? None, except that the USSR was seen as defeated. However, Pakistan's interests were served very well. It succeeded in installing a puppet regime there and expand its area of control. It also received huge cache of arms and ammunition and greenbacks to fund the activities of the ISI. All this went into financing training camps and arming Jihaadis. What did these Jihaadis do? They prepared for a war with the Satan, the US, under the protection of Taliban, the puppet regime of Pakistan.

We hope, the US leadership is wiser to understand the nuances of the melodramatic Islamic theater.

It is India which should be ready to face the tune very soon

In the days to come, the position of India is going to get weaker. Vajpayee and Jaswant have almost sacrificed the vital interests of the country by pursuing a US centric foreign policy. Today India cannot cross the LOC to counterattack the terrorists as we ourselves have sanctified the LOC by seeking the US intervention in the Kargil war. If we cross the LOC, we will be condemned by the world community. We have tied our own hands.

The thoughtlessness of the Vajpayee regime has brought us to this state. Today, India's sphere of influence is not seen even within her own borders. Even the state governments do not listen to Delhi because the Government at the center is weak, and the leadership is senile and ineffective. This is very demoralising.

However, we are in for trouble. Whatever could be the result of the present impasse between Afghanistan and the US, we are not going to be spared terrorist onslaught in the name of freedom struggle. The unstinted US support to Pakistan will embolden the terrorist outfits in Kashmir and elsewhere. They will come forth with guns blazing. The Vajpayee government does not have the capacity to deal with that kind of a situation. It does not care for the loss of Indian lives and his dithering may push the things to a point of no return.

Something has to be done now. There should be a ruthless clamp down on all separatist movements the way it was done in Punjab. Recall officers like Gill and put them in-charge of counter-insurgency operations. Declare a national alert. Set right all your securuty systems. Sack those who show carelessness and lethargy. Deal a body blow to Mafia outfits that are run by the likes of Dawood. Destroy the yellow lemons in the law enforcement machinery. Give a free hand to the security forces. Reinforce the RAW and IB establishment with some really talented guys. Those who provide moral and material support to the terrorists should be made to pay a heavy price for that. Think in a pro-active manner. There is no time to be lost. Forget about what the US is going to do or not to do. Take care of your home turf, NOW. Work on a war footing, in a warlike manner, in this war situation.

Enact laws that leave no room for criminals and terrorists to get away with murder. Set up special tribunals and handover quick punishments to all those who have perpetrated terrorist acts. Try every terrorist under the treason act. Hang them, let them face a firing squad. Go for harshest measures possible. Finish the Mumbai bomb blast trial quickly, in the next one month, if possible.

Can you do this Vajpayee? We don't think you can. However, we are hoping against hope.