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donsutherland1 · 01-03-08, 09:42 AM

Additional developments in Pakistan:

• Although the late Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party (PPP) has expressed skepticism with respect to the Pakistan Government's ability to investigate the assassination of Ms. Bhutto, the PPP has apparently rejected Scotland Yard's playing a role in the investigation. The January 3, 2008 issue of Daily Times reported:

Pakistan People's Party (PPP) however rejected assistance of Scotland Yards in investigation into its Chairwoman Benazir Bhutto's assassination but chose not to react to the army deployment in Sindh to maintain law and order. "We have already rejected investigation by Scotland Yards as the regime had already declined Bhutto's request of investigation of 18 October Karachi incident. Now, we want investigation only under the United Nations Commission," said PPP central finance secretary Dr Babar Awan.

He said that had the regime accepted Bhutto's demand of investigation of Karachi incident by Scotland Yards, her assassination could have been avoided. He said that PPP would make no comment on deployment of army troops until the government did so.

In its own editorial, Daily Times hailed the involvement of Scotland Yard. In addition, it explained why an international Lebanon-style probe is not pertinent. The newspaper wrote, "While a Hariri-style investigation into Ms Bhutto's assassination is not possible for various reasons, not least because there is no suspicion of a third state's involvement, as was the case in Mr Hariri's assassination, passions are running high and the government needs to do much more than it has done so far, which is simply to give one contradictory statement after another. The demand that the government should get help from international agencies to investigate the matter more expertly and objectively could not be faulted. Ms Bhutto's stature, the circumstances of her assassination and increasing cooperation among states on such issues demanded that the government not invoke the issue of sovereignty on this point. President Pervez Musharraf's Wednesday [January 2] address to the nation and his assurance that Pakistan will receive a team from Scotland Yard to help Pakistani agencies with the investigations is a welcome move, though it may be too little too late."

• The PPP also leveled serious allegations at the Government. The News reported, "The PPP leaders accused the provincial government as well as the district governments of Sukkur, Khairpur, Kashmore and Jacobabad of unleashing a reign of terror and oppression against thousands of PPP mourners by implicating them in false criminal cases of arson, looting and burning public and private properties in order to get, what they alleged, favourable results for the PML-Q [Pakistan Muslim League-Qauid] in the upcoming elections." PML-Q is President Musharraf's Party.

These allegations notwithstanding, the PPP provided no credible evidence to substantiate them. At the same time, no independent news sources reported such a Government-led "reign of terror." Whether or not these allegations are aimed at influencing the outcome of the February 18 election by seeking to discredit an unpopular government remains to be seen.

• Pakistan's Dawn.com news site criticized Pakistan's political leaders for showing an apparent lack of concern about the need for promoting stability in Pakistan in the wake of the Bhutto assassination. Toward that end, it made an "appeal for sanity" so that the investigation into the assassination can be thorough and meticulous and that a "free and fair election" can be held.

The news site editorialized:

With the election postponed to Feb 18, one disturbing aspect of the grim political scene needs to be highlighted. Must the atmosphere be vitiated by loose talk? Ms Bhutto’s assassination is a tragedy that has shocked Pakistan as well as the whole world. The disturbances that broke out in the country immediately after Dec 27 were in most cases spontaneous, though criminal elements also entered the fray to use the occasion to loot and plunder. The three days of rioting has done incalculable damage to the economy, besides causing the death of innocent men, women and children. At places, the railway system is in tatters, and the disruption has made the Election Commission feel that it will be unable to organise polling by next week. For the nation now, there is one aim that overrides all other considerations — a free and fair general election in a peaceful atmosphere.

Regrettably, the politicians — all of them, it seems — do not share the nation’s preference for peace, stability and transparent elections. They appear to be oblivious of the dangers inherent in a prolongation of the state of uncertainty and political animosities. By reckless talk, mud-slinging and appeals to raw emotions with ethnic overtones, the politicians are doing no service to Pakistan at a time when the whole world is watching us to see whether we as a people have the wisdom and courage to get out of the crisis. While it will take time before the truth about the conspiracy behind the assassination is established, the beginning is not very encouraging. The government has thoroughly bungled the forensic part of the investigation. The precise cause of Ms Bhutto’s death has remained a mystery because of the lack of consistency in the medical reports. The authorities are also resisting the demands for foreign help in the investigation. Given the government’s low credibility and the kind of people who run the various intelligence agencies, the demand for foreign assistance in the probe does not appear unjustified.

Let all sides realise that the investigation cannot be done in a hurry. Given the kind of personality Benazir Bhutto was, the enemies — hidden and open — she had, the ruthlessness of the Taliban-Al Qaeda mindset, the support they enjoy from their hidden sympathisers in the government, as conclusively proved by the suicide attacks within high-security areas and on President Pervez Musharraf himself, and the web of intrigues characteristic of Pakistani politics, all sides must have the common sense to let the investigators do their job with professionalism uninfluenced by political pressures. Instead, most party leaders seem to be playing to the gallery and have made no attempt to lower the level of rhetoric and cool off passions all around. In this respect some of the statements by PPP leaders and their rivals in the PML-Q were in bad taste and seemed to treat with contempt the sentiments of Pakistan’s grief-stricken people. Let our leaders note that their indiscretions could complicate the situation, and things could get out of control, thus giving anti-democratic elements an opportunity to cancel the election.

In my opinion, Dawn.com is on the mark with its analysis. Pakistan urgently needs stability so that an election can be held in a peaceful environment. It also needs to focus on the crucial task of investigating the Bhutto assassination with an emphasis on facts, alone. Conspiracy theories or blame disseminated in a quest for political advantage will only make things worse in the deeply divided country. It will sharpen the divisions and make them more enduring.

In a possibly more encouraging development, Daily Times reported that backchannel contacts between Pakistan's Government and the PPP may have resumed. The newspaper reported:

Well-placed sources told Online that Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Makhdoom Amin Fahim met with a host of leaders including President Pervez Musharraf, however details of the meeting have not been disclosed as yet. President Musharraf, during the meeting with Fahim, expressed his deep and heartfelt condolences over former PPP chairwoman’s death.

PPP to be included: He said the PPP would be taken into confidence during the investigations into Benazir’s killing in Rawalpindi on December 27.

01-03-08, 09:42 AM	#33 (permalink)
donsutherland1 Moderator Mod team member Join Date: Oct 2007 Last Online: Today 12:24 PM Location: New York Posts: 2,455 Thanks: 810 Thanked 1,563 Times in 872 Posts Lean: Centrist Gender: Awards:	Re: The Bhutto Assassination: Some Quick Thoughts Additional developments in Pakistan: • Although the late Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party (PPP) has expressed skepticism with respect to the Pakistan Government's ability to investigate the assassination of Ms. Bhutto, the PPP has apparently rejected Scotland Yard's playing a role in the investigation. The January 3, 2008 issue of Daily Times reported: Pakistan People's Party (PPP) however rejected assistance of Scotland Yards in investigation into its Chairwoman Benazir Bhutto's assassination but chose not to react to the army deployment in Sindh to maintain law and order. "We have already rejected investigation by Scotland Yards as the regime had already declined Bhutto's request of investigation of 18 October Karachi incident. Now, we want investigation only under the United Nations Commission," said PPP central finance secretary Dr Babar Awan. He said that had the regime accepted Bhutto's demand of investigation of Karachi incident by Scotland Yards, her assassination could have been avoided. He said that PPP would make no comment on deployment of army troops until the government did so. In its own editorial, Daily Times hailed the involvement of Scotland Yard. In addition, it explained why an international Lebanon-style probe is not pertinent. The newspaper wrote, "While a Hariri-style investigation into Ms Bhutto's assassination is not possible for various reasons, not least because there is no suspicion of a third state's involvement, as was the case in Mr Hariri's assassination, passions are running high and the government needs to do much more than it has done so far, which is simply to give one contradictory statement after another. The demand that the government should get help from international agencies to investigate the matter more expertly and objectively could not be faulted. Ms Bhutto's stature, the circumstances of her assassination and increasing cooperation among states on such issues demanded that the government not invoke the issue of sovereignty on this point. President Pervez Musharraf's Wednesday [January 2] address to the nation and his assurance that Pakistan will receive a team from Scotland Yard to help Pakistani agencies with the investigations is a welcome move, though it may be too little too late." • The PPP also leveled serious allegations at the Government. The News reported, "The PPP leaders accused the provincial government as well as the district governments of Sukkur, Khairpur, Kashmore and Jacobabad of unleashing a reign of terror and oppression against thousands of PPP mourners by implicating them in false criminal cases of arson, looting and burning public and private properties in order to get, what they alleged, favourable results for the PML-Q [Pakistan Muslim League-Qauid] in the upcoming elections." PML-Q is President Musharraf's Party. These allegations notwithstanding, the PPP provided no credible evidence to substantiate them. At the same time, no independent news sources reported such a Government-led "reign of terror." Whether or not these allegations are aimed at influencing the outcome of the February 18 election by seeking to discredit an unpopular government remains to be seen. • Pakistan's Dawn.com news site criticized Pakistan's political leaders for showing an apparent lack of concern about the need for promoting stability in Pakistan in the wake of the Bhutto assassination. Toward that end, it made an "appeal for sanity" so that the investigation into the assassination can be thorough and meticulous and that a "free and fair election" can be held. The news site editorialized: With the election postponed to Feb 18, one disturbing aspect of the grim political scene needs to be highlighted. Must the atmosphere be vitiated by loose talk? Ms Bhutto’s assassination is a tragedy that has shocked Pakistan as well as the whole world. The disturbances that broke out in the country immediately after Dec 27 were in most cases spontaneous, though criminal elements also entered the fray to use the occasion to loot and plunder. The three days of rioting has done incalculable damage to the economy, besides causing the death of innocent men, women and children. At places, the railway system is in tatters, and the disruption has made the Election Commission feel that it will be unable to organise polling by next week. For the nation now, there is one aim that overrides all other considerations — a free and fair general election in a peaceful atmosphere. Regrettably, the politicians — all of them, it seems — do not share the nation’s preference for peace, stability and transparent elections. They appear to be oblivious of the dangers inherent in a prolongation of the state of uncertainty and political animosities. By reckless talk, mud-slinging and appeals to raw emotions with ethnic overtones, the politicians are doing no service to Pakistan at a time when the whole world is watching us to see whether we as a people have the wisdom and courage to get out of the crisis. While it will take time before the truth about the conspiracy behind the assassination is established, the beginning is not very encouraging. The government has thoroughly bungled the forensic part of the investigation. The precise cause of Ms Bhutto’s death has remained a mystery because of the lack of consistency in the medical reports. The authorities are also resisting the demands for foreign help in the investigation. Given the government’s low credibility and the kind of people who run the various intelligence agencies, the demand for foreign assistance in the probe does not appear unjustified. Let all sides realise that the investigation cannot be done in a hurry. Given the kind of personality Benazir Bhutto was, the enemies — hidden and open — she had, the ruthlessness of the Taliban-Al Qaeda mindset, the support they enjoy from their hidden sympathisers in the government, as conclusively proved by the suicide attacks within high-security areas and on President Pervez Musharraf himself, and the web of intrigues characteristic of Pakistani politics, all sides must have the common sense to let the investigators do their job with professionalism uninfluenced by political pressures. Instead, most party leaders seem to be playing to the gallery and have made no attempt to lower the level of rhetoric and cool off passions all around. In this respect some of the statements by PPP leaders and their rivals in the PML-Q were in bad taste and seemed to treat with contempt the sentiments of Pakistan’s grief-stricken people. Let our leaders note that their indiscretions could complicate the situation, and things could get out of control, thus giving anti-democratic elements an opportunity to cancel the election. In my opinion, Dawn.com is on the mark with its analysis. Pakistan urgently needs stability so that an election can be held in a peaceful environment. It also needs to focus on the crucial task of investigating the Bhutto assassination with an emphasis on facts, alone. Conspiracy theories or blame disseminated in a quest for political advantage will only make things worse in the deeply divided country. It will sharpen the divisions and make them more enduring. In a possibly more encouraging development, Daily Times reported that backchannel contacts between Pakistan's Government and the PPP may have resumed. The newspaper reported: Well-placed sources told Online that Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Makhdoom Amin Fahim met with a host of leaders including President Pervez Musharraf, however details of the meeting have not been disclosed as yet. President Musharraf, during the meeting with Fahim, expressed his deep and heartfelt condolences over former PPP chairwoman’s death. PPP to be included: He said the PPP would be taken into confidence during the investigations into Benazir’s killing in Rawalpindi on December 27.