Pakistani democracy has revealed its impotency in the face of its very own black Thursday. And it is far more damaging to the country’s long-term health than having the courts send an elected Prime Minister packing. For it underscores the gross misstep that democracy commits when tempted into dancing with devilish dictatorship.
An anti-terrorism court this week handed down the first-ever convictions in the murder trial of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto. And it has taken us nigh on a decade to get here. Yet what exactly has Pakistan’s criminal justice system delivered? Two policemen have been slapped with custodial sentences. The five defendants who were suspected of being Taliban are due to walk free. And as for Gen Musharraf, he has been declared a fugitive, with orders being given to have his property confiscated.
Yet don’t mind us if we don’t consider this a victory of any sort.
Back in 2013, Gen Musharraf was charged with murder, criminal conspiracy for murder and facilitation for murder. At the time, this was hailed as the unprecedented taking to task of a military strongman. Just three years later, the Supreme Court lifted his travel ban. And the rest we know. From his self-exile in Dubai, the one-time enemy combatant relaxes as he conducts interviews with international media. When, that is, he is not hosting his own talk show for local media here. Which brings us to the question of collective responsibility. Under which democratic norms does the media grant breathing space to a former head of state wanted for murder to air his views? Even Tony Blair was wily enough avoid trial and conviction.
Naturally the top PPP leadership is right when it says that there will be no justice until Musharraf is arrested and made to answer for his crimes. Yet the PPP also needs to look inwards and ask itself why it manoeuvred with the security establishment to secure a safe and honourable exit for the good general, less than a year after Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto was murdered and a good two years before the UN made public its report into the killing.
This question goes beyond this case alone. It is important because it raises concerns — as Pakistan finds itself hurtling towards general elections on less than firm footing — about the extent of backroom deals between the civilian leadership and those who wear the uniform. Did the PPP put its bloodied and fractious relationship with the latter on the backburner while deciding that electoral power was more important that justice?
We understand that the above is mere supposition. Nevertheless, we stand by this in our call to Pakistan’s civilian leadership — ruling parties and opposition alike — to avoid any future deals with anti-democratic forces, in the run-up to next year’s polls. Because these will always tilt away from liberty and justice. Just as they will but always veer sharply towards autocracy and non-accountability.
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