Pakistani polls, a futile exercise?

Will the music of democracy ever play in Pakistan ever again? With the Human rights indicating that it is standing by its stand that one of the top officials in Pakistan had indicated that there is going to be an 'all out' rigging so that Musharraf's party wins the polls, more and more doubts are being cast on an election which no one believes will ever take place.
And even if it did take place, no one in Pakistan is willing to lay any bets on it being fair and square. With the United States willing to rubber stamp the 'elections' by sending three U.S senators to over see it. What are they here to oversee, the rigging?
They may as well announce the winners as Musharraf's party right now and get done with it. Why bother going to the extent of holding an election when we all know that it is an exercise in imagination and one that does not exercise the people's mandate?

Emergency to be lifted on Dec 16th?

Musharraf seems to be intent on throwing everyone off balance and that is what he did with the latest announcement that the emergency is to be lifted on December the 16th. Of course the rest of the world will rather wait and see what Musharraf does and truth be told, one cannot blame them for wanting to take whatever Musharraf says with a rather heavy dose of salt. As for the rivals for power in Pakistan, Nawaz sharif and Benazir bhutto, it seems that one of them has decided to boycott the elections where as the other one is under undue pressure from the Americans to contest the elections.

What am I talking about? Well the game for power in Pakistan has began and the Americans as well as Musharraf realise that the Pakistan that accepted military rule in the past will not do so in the current atmosphere, therefore some semblance of democracy should be restored to Pakistan. The Americans would very much prefer that Pakistan be jointly ruled by both the 'Dictatorial' Musharraf and the versatile Bhutto. Even Musharraf realises that Bhutto is the key to his survival in this game for the ultimate power since both he and Sharif detest each other, therefore they would not support one other. Bhutto is fast becoming the most wanted person in Pakistan, one one hand, the entire opposition would like for her to boycott the elections altogether and since the integrity of the current election commission is not all that great, any current elections held under them can be easily overturned by the Supreme court. That said, on the other hand I am sure that Benazir Bhutto realises that the current election could very well see to her becoming the Prime minister again.l Things are very turbulent at the very least in Pakistani politics and I am sure that a few years from now, someone would make a very good soap opera about the whole thing!

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The end of emergency in Pakistan?

There are rumors floating in Pakistan that Musharraf will lift the emergency within 48 hrs. As to the veracity of that rumor that remains to be seem but it was a very similar rumor that had forecast the imposition of the emergency itself.
But common sense suggests that although the imposition of the emergency was easy the removal of it would not be all that easy. For one, Musharraf would want to chalk out an exit strategy for himself and his family before the emergency can be lifted and the Supreme court judges reinstated. At the very lease, he would expect to grant himself and his friends and family members a 'full amnesty' so that no cases can be filed against him or his coterie. After all, that is what all dictators seek out to do when they are pondering an exit strategy, are they not? Take the case of Pinochet, even after all the proof that is stacked so high against him, yet, justice could not hold full sway in his case. So the case against Musharraf will not be all that different and maybe, just maybe, he may even end up seeking political asylum in India, because in the end, even presidents do not stay forever. The Murphy's law would hold so true in the case of Musharraf!

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