What Next General Will Do?

General (R) Flathead

Generals are in habit of reversing the policies of their predecessors. General Yahya Khan tried to undo General Ayub's policies. For example, general Ayub Khan introduced BD system, Yahya Khan broke the parity between East and West Pakistan and held elections to create National Assembly which could develop a system that could accommodate Yahya Khan as well let the politicians play their role. In the process, general Yahya Khan broke Pakistan. Since general Yahya Khan was alcoholic and womanizer, he did not care about Bars, Discos and private sex exchange parties.

General Zia ul Haq was mullahzada. Like there are many Nawabzadas and Pirzadas in Pakistan, there are many mullahzadas. General Zia ul Haq, being a mullahzada, built bridges with mullahs and mullahzadas. Even when United States asked him to help-out in Afghanistan to defeat Soviet Union, general Zia ul Haq sought help from mullahs and mullahzadas and built seminaries throughout Pakistan to manufacture Jihadis. Under general Zia's pious leadership, Pakistan not only became self sufficient in the production of Jihadis it also started exporting them. General Zia exported Jihadis not only to Afghanistan but also to Kashmir and China. Later on his project managers such as Jamaat -e-Islami continued exporting them to Chechenya and Bosnia.

Then came our generalissimo, first couple of years, he did not mind continuing general Zia's Jihadi projects.

Poor Nawaz Sharif established anti terrorist courts in 1998, four years before 9/11, to pull Pakistan back from the brink of total annihilation because of Jihadi elements. He signed agreement with Clinton establishment to apprehend Osama Bin Laden and ship him to his home country or any other country that wanted him, but our enlightened and moderate general not only made fun of anti terrorist courts, he shelved the agreement to apprehend Osama Bin Laden by declaring it unfeasible.

Now, this generalissimo wants to undo all those things which he did not let Nawaz Sharif undo and which he tried to continue until 9/11. 9/11 has awakened generalissimo to new realities. Now, he has become enlightened moderate and he also wants to make Pakistan an enlightened moderate state.

Poor Pakistan keeps dancing to whichever tunes the general at the helm of affairs plays. General Zia wanted the nation to dance to Arabian Daff, Ud and Bazuq. He wanted them to weal Shalwar Kameez and Wasket and he wanted them to fight jihad in Afghanistan and Kashmir.

Now, present generalissimo has all of sudden changed Daff, Ud and Bazuq with Keyboard, Piano and drums. He wants Pakistanis to give up Daff, Ud and Bazuq and dance to the beats of American drums.

The poor nation cannot makeup its mind. It was used to Sarangi, Tablah and Satar. It hardly finished adjusting to Daff, Ud and Bazuq. Now, the generalissimo wants it to switch to American drums.

What is waiting in the future for this poor nation, no one really knows.  It all depends on the next general. Let us see who replaces the present generalissimo.