Is Gen. Pervez Musharraf a dictator? Yes. Why should anybody blur the fact that he seized power in a bloodless coup in 1999? He seized power from an elected — but corrupt — prime minister. Now if given a choice, I’d rather see Musharraf dictate policy than watch elected leaders plunder Pakistan of its resources and assets. I am tired of being a Third World apologist when I am asked to explain the fact that a despotic ruler is poised to deprive the people of Pakistan of democracy. Democracy may not be the remedy for Pakistan’s problems that the West believes it is. Musharraf, however, appears to be just what the doctor ordered. He’s the closest we’ve come to emulating some of the principles that Muhammad Ali Jinnah stood for. Pakistan needs firm, decisive governance, not vague idealistic notions of democracy.
At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what form of government one uses but rather how effective the system is. Ultimately what matters is whether the masses are employed. Are there opportunities for growth? Is there infrastructure to support economic growth? Do people feel free to pursue their livelihood without fear? Are they involved in daily decision-making procedures that affect their lives and the areas where they live?
“Whatever works” is the standard I want to see the world adopt in judging Musharraf’s limited experiments with democracy. Instead of the viewpoints that international correspondents have expressed about the recently-held referendum, the world needs to look at the good that has come from Musharraf. He is a true moderate — something he has demonstrated by extending equal dignity to all religious minority groups. That he is serious about stemming fundamentalist activities became obvious when he outlawed four religious extremist groups responsible for a stream of sectarian violence last year. By having municipal elections, Musharraf has made an effort to increase the Pakistani people’s involvement in their own affairs. He dismantled the system of deputy commissioners put in place by the colonial rulers. Now the elected representatives have been given the power to make decisions and put ideas into practice.
And in restructuring the political hierarchy, Musharraf has empowered the people of Pakistan. It was Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto who stood on a platform to give “power to the people” but it has taken a “dictator” to make it happen.
How can Musharraf be perceived as a threat to civil society in Pakistan? Because his regime called for a referendum that was perceived abroad as unconstitutional? For one thing, most of the criticism came from two former Prime Ministers Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif who are far removed from Pakistan’s problems and lambaste a leader who is trying to get on with his job. Do Bhutto or Sharif care about preserving the sanctity of Pakistan’s constitution? No. Musharraf has managed to fill the treasury by imposing a GST, collecting unpaid income taxes, drastically cutting back subsidies on energy and freezing defense spending. Most importantly, he has yanked Pakistan’s lopsided economy out of a four-year recession.
While Musharraf’s domestic agenda is an exciting one, what about his performance in the international arena? When he first took the reigns, the West eyed him with suspicion, and treated him with disdain. The West thought he was another Zia ul Haq. They couldn’t have been more wrong. And then after Sept. 11, Musharraf went from being a little known leader to a pivotal player in global politics. However, it was not an easy position. Musharraf made Pakistan indispensable to the American war against terrorism. Suddenly the country’s credibility was restored despite the fact that it was $37 billion in debt. It was paid back in full for the F-16s which had been paid for long ago but never delivered. Pakistan had been suspended from the Commonwealth and now all of a sudden, London loved it.
Musharraf has cast a spell of common sense. He rules by rationality, which is a novel concept for Pakistan which is used to leaders spewing emotional rhetoric at every opportunity. Musharraf remains mindful of sending messages that encourage tolerance and unity.
Musharraf represents hope. He is an Urdu-speaker who rose in the ranks of an institution that is a Punjabi stronghold. That makes him a minority, which makes him more aware of what minority groups have to face. He lends a voice to the voiceless masses that exist on the periphery of Pakistani society. It is strange to hear a televised speech with so inclusive a message in a country born on the premise of separatism. It is a premise that subsequent leaders chose to exploit, transforming Pakistan from being a safe Muslim haven to becoming a land which directed hatred at other minority groups.
I do not fault those who question Musharraf’s legitimacy. To do so is important but it is also essential to get over the details and examine what he has done. He did seize power and he is a dictator. But a benevolent dictatorship may be far better than a corrupt democracy. The skeptics are good for a developing society; it’s the cynics who cause problems. They won’t give Musharraf a chance.
Granted, the recently-held referendum had a limited agenda. It was a “yes” or “no” answer and the option was whether to keep Musharraf in power for the next five years. Eyewitness accounts, international correspondents and members of the Pakistani press have already expressed their disappointment. One human rights activist was disturbed by the low voter turnout. That, however, is the level of apathy among the Pakistani electorate. And that is not Musharraf’s problem. He promised a referendum, and Pakistani citizens were given a chance to voice approval or disapproval. He promised a municipal election and there was one. So far Musharraf has been a man of his word. And that is what we need. What we don’t need is the international community forcing a Western-style democracy down our throats.
All these voices screaming about the unconstitutional nature of the referendum are ridiculous because when you live in fear that the fan will stop in the middle of a sweltering summer night, you don’t have time to devote to thinking about democratic processes. Nor can you care much about unconstitutional acts being perpetrated when you have more pressing priorities to attend to — namely the water truck arriving on time in the morning for the kids to wash before school. You want a no-nonsense leader who will pave the way to progress through pragmatism. And maybe the path to progress isn’t the democratic way. Whatever gets us to economic prosperity is fine by me. Whatever gets us out of the cycle of sectarian violence that holds civility hostage in Pakistan works for me. I may not have Musharraf all figured out but I like what he’s done so far. It has been more than anyone has ever bothered to do for the people of Pakistan since its creation in 1947.
