'Go Ahead Musharraf'

Yesterday evening one of my colleagues said he was disappointed again, because the Supreme Court of Pakistan dismissed six petitions challenging Musharraf's two offices. "Now any and every general can become a president too," he said.

Six out of nine member bench rejected the petitions declaring them "not maintainable."
Justice Rana Bhagwandas, Justice Sardar Muhammad Raza Khan and Justice Mian Shakirullah Jan said the petitions were maintainable, while Justice Javed Iqbal, Justice Muhammad Nawaz Abbasi, Jutice Faqir Muhammad Khokhar, Jutice Falak Sher, Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar and Justice Javed Buttar declared them non maintainable.

Though Gen Musharraf is not the only Gen-President, but the ray of hope this nation developed after reinstatement of the Chief Justice and the bold decisions taken by the Supreme Court is now dead. People of this country have been waiting for the strengthening of the last 60 years.

When parliament and the political parties became a tool in the hands of the establishment, the judiciary had developed the hope after a long struggle and sacrifice of more than 50 people on May 12 this year. Early this month, when state forcibly sent Nawaz Sharif, former prime minister of Pakistan, to Saudi Arabia despite of orders of the apex court, one editor of a newspaper said, "Your judiciary is dead."

Well, Pakistan's newspapers flashed the historical decision this way: Daily Times in its full page headline wrote: Supreme Court says 'Go ahead Musharraf'. In a box news item the daily reported that Presidential candidate Justice (r) Wajeehuddin Ahmed had filed an application with the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) that President Musharraf could not contest the election under Article 41 (3).

I am not an expert of law, will wait to see whose interpretation of law is accurate, whether of a retired judge's or sitting judges'.

Headline of Business Recorder reads; SC dismisses petitions (six to three) against Musharraf contesting election in uniform. In an other news daily quoted the US Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia, Richard Boucher saying the decision would promote democracy in Pakistan.

May be only Boucher believes this!

Full page headline of The News reported; SC saves the day for Musharraf.

The daily in an other news item reported President Gen Pervez Musharraf emerged stronger with cent percent chances of recording victory for a second term in office as his nomination for re-election crossed all the 'artificially' erected hurdles.

Rahimullah Yusufzai asked in The News why was it so that Supreme Court judges belonging to Sindh and the NWFP often gave dissenting judgments in important constitutinonal petitions having political implications while those from the Punjab usually upheld the government's stance? He said out of six judges who rejected the petitions four were from Punjab, one from Balochistan and one, Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar, had 'domicile' of Sindh. Recently he served as chief election commissioner of Pakistan. The three judges who gave dissenting note belong to Sindh and the NWFP.

DAWN's heading reads; The day of the General. Musharraf to run for president in uniform. Petitioners, lawyers' leaders livid.

Headlines of other national as well as regional newspapers also highlighted the decision.