International   

Out of the frying pan into the fire?

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD Oct. 11. Though Pakistan was born in the name of Islam, religious parties in the country have never managed to win the hearts and minds of the people. The percentage of popular votes polled by all the Islamic parties together (they are countless) has never reached the double digit figure and Pakistan's civil society took pride in advertising it to its Indian counterparts.

But hours after the polling ended on Thursday, it had all changed. The emergence of the first ever alliance of `pure' right-wing religious parties, Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) as a `third force' at the national level, the ruling party in the Frontier province and within striking distance of power in Baluchistan has sent shock waves among the liberal sections of society.

The Editor of Daily Times, Najam Sethi, wrote a signed front-page Editorial on the implications of the emergence of MMA. He said, "Thank you, General Pervez Musharraf, for delivering us from the likes of Nawaz Sharif and handing us over to Qazi Hussain Ahmad and Maulana Fazlur Rehman.

``The MMA will be an unprecedented integral element of the National Assembly in days to come. It may well be a partner in the government of Pakistan in Islamabad as well. But, to be sure, it will form the next two governments in the two provinces of the NWFP and Baluchistan. In a third, Punjab, it will be a critical part of the ruling coalition in alliance with any one faction of the PML or possibly even with the PPP. And, in Karachi, it will stage a significant comeback since its ouster in 1981''.

What accounts for the dramatic gains by the alliance of a motley group of leaders who have serious differences on some fundamental aspects related to interpretation and practice of Islam? Taliban best illustrates the point. The Jamaat-e-Islami, largest religious party of Pakistan and one of the main components of the MMA, openly denounced the ways of the Taliban at the height of its glory in Afghanistan.

The explanation seems to lie in the prevailing anti-American sentiment in Pakistan, particularly ever since it launched the military operations in Afghanistan to get at Osama bin Laden.

Ironically, the emergence of the MMA at the centre-stage of Pakistani politics has coincided with the first anniversary of the military operations that are still on. It could be a temporary phase, but it would be a major factor to reckon with.

As the Editor of the Pakistan-based Internet web news journal, Internews, noted: "traditionally, Islamic parties in Pakistan have always found it hard to actually win seats but this time they have sought to capitalise on opposition to the country's partnership with the United States in the bombing of Afghanistan and in the war on terror.

``People wanted a change from the past corrupt rulers and pro-U.S. policies of Gen.Musharraf,'' the central MMA leader and chief of Jamaat, Qazi Hussain Ahmed, told Internews.

Mr. Sethi seeks to put part of the blame on the attitude of Gen. Musharraf towards the mainstream parties. "It seems that Gen. Musharraf's rabid anti-PPP and anti-PMLN stance, coupled with his exhortation to the masses to vote-in new faces, was taken to heart by many people.

Instead of voting en masse for the lotas or old faces who deserted the PPP and the PMLN or were bribed and cajoled to join the PMLQ or King's Party, many people have voted for the MMA.

Indeed, the MMA has wiped out the two mainstream moderate political parties — the PPP and the PML — from the scene in the NWFP and Baluchistan.

Mr. Sethi said that thanks for creating a political vacuum into which the MMA had flowed must also go to Gen. Musharraf's new found American friend, President George Bush, whose "pre-emptive anti-Taliban and anti-Al-Qaeda policies (read anti-Islam) were equally responsible for nudging the conservative and deeply religious people of these areas into the arms of the MMA''.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

International

News: Front Page | National | Southern States | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary |

Stories in this Section

• Congress grants Bush war powers
• Russia may back a `mild' U.N. draft
• Cross-border terrorism must end: Denmark
• A bad signal from Pak.: Sinha
• Out of the frying pan into the fire?
• India, Pak. should resume dialogue: Rocca
• 23 die in blast at Chechnya police headquarters
• Terrorist outfit owns up attack on tanker
• A month of froth and hot air for Tories
• A message to Iraq, says Japan
• New Nepal Govt.
• Yet another sniper strike
• MMA announces arrival with a `bandh'
• 3 killed in Trincomalee blast

Copyright © 2002, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu