Oktay Eksi: No surprises in Pakistani politics

However, if I speak frankly, there is nothing at all surprising about the situation.

As a matter of fact, in Pakistan’s 61-year-history there are many examples of leaders coming to power in “coups”, including Ayub Khan, Yahya Khan, Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, and Pervez Musharraf, and we hesitate to ask, “In the meantime, I wonder if we have forgotten someone else?”

Thirty-five of the past 61 years, in other words more than half of the country’s history, Pakistan has fallen into the hands of “general’s coming to power through coups”.

Aside from the “coups”, there are two other points about Pakistani politics that remain unchanged. Firstly, “the use of religion in politics”, and secondly, “political corruption”, or more blatantly put, thieving…

This is not something unique to Pakistan; it is a common trait to all undeveloped countries in the East (Asia/Orient).

When you know this, it sounds as if it is this rule of the game that Sharif, who was toppled by Musharraf nine years ago when he was a prime minister, now compels Musharraf to resign from the presidency.

For this reason, don’t be surprised if in the very near future Chief of General Staff Ashfaq Parvez Kayani comes to power.

Found guilty by the courts on theft charges nine years before– even serving jail time for corruption – Nawaz Sharif, nicknamed “Mr. 10 percent”, together with the husband of assassinated Pakistan People’s Party leader Benazir Bhutto, Asif Ali Zardari (the one time adversaries who were at such odds they would drown the other in a spoonful of water), are now joined under the “honesty” banner, in a move that is both irreprehensible and pathetic.

This announcement clearly demonstrates that this is “personal hostilities”, and not a principle of “the Orient”.

It is difficult to understand why Pakistani intellectuals, and especially those generals that often instigate coups, don’t look at neighboring India.

India and Pakistan won their independence on the same day, August 14, 1947. The citizens of the two nations resembled each other as if they were both molded from the same dough. The only difference between two states is that the majority of Pakistani people are Muslim, whereas the majority of Indians are Hindu.

Now India is one of the fastest developing countries in the world. Its democracy works like clockwork. But Pakistan is baffled by never-ending coups and corruption, which are difficult to contend with.

When we come to the reason forthis, we should add one more point to those already mentioned:

Secularism is as important to India as it is to Turkey. They would never allow religion to be used to win votes. However Pakistani politicians give every concession to religious fanatics in an effort to gain votes. And in the end, this is point that Pakistan has reached.

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