By Salim Akbani, O’ Fallon, Illinois
Now that we have performed our act in the Afghanistan game, it is time to put our own house in order.
To begin with, our top leadership must commit itself to returning the country to democratic rule. It will not be an easy task; it never has been. For the last 54 years we have vacillated between military dictatorship and inept and feudalistic forms of democracy. Any one of us who thinks that a government other than an elected and representative one could succeed is fooling himself. Military dictatorships can bring only temporary respite to political turmoil but will not ensure long-term stability.
A 25-year plan providing for a sturdy form of government must be chalked out and executed.
I hope that General Musharraf would realize that he is not an elected leader and cannot justify his continuation in office for an indefinite period. He is being supported by many, including the West because of the current situation in Afghanistan, today. His supporters, both internally and externally, will disappear in time if he has plans other than returning Pakistan to a representative government. I hope his exit will be different from that of Ayub Khan and Zia ul Haq or their counterparts such as General Pinochet who was ultimately without a home and hunted by his own country men. A dignified exit will make him the first military leader in Pakistan’s history who served his country in earnest instead of serving himself.