The Establishment

Pakistan has a long history of tug of war between Military and Political forces. For the last few years people have started blaming ESTABLISHMENT for this. No one exactly knows who is ESTABLISHMENT? Is it a person or an organization? How does it work? Whom does it report to? or is it just a urban legend?

Very recently, i come across few very interesting books and articles about renowned national celeberities, politicians, writers, generals, ambassadors etc. Interestingly, all these books, stories, characters seemed interconnected. As if they are all connnected through some informal structure and system. I may not be wrong if i call that system / structure ...the ESTABLISHMENT.

To me, the ESTABLISHMENT is an informal group of individuals who share a common ideology. This common ideology gives them a route to reach their individual objectives. The dream of achieving these objectives is the binding force of this ESTABLISHMENT.

However, many a times the end objectives of these members are not only uncommon but can be conflicting in nature. These individual power brokers stay together till the time the course of action helps them to realize thier dreams. They split when the course of action doesnt provide the strategy required to get their goal.

Lets look into the ideology which these people generally share. The essence of this ideology is that "Pakistan (aka ISLAM) is in DANGER from foreign conspiracies and the only way to DEFEND the homeland (and ISLAM) is by joining hands with Ummah (Muslims) to fight with conspirators (may be IMAGINATIVE conspirators)" This shared belief that Muslims are suffering and have lost their glory because someone is conspiring against them continuously for the last 500 years is the single most powerful thought which is shared by millions of Muslims from Morroco to Indonesia and all the countries in between.

This belief is shared by people of different languages, nationalities, social classes and professions etc. For Pakistan the widely shared belief is that the anti Pakistan forces in play since its inception are India, Israel and US (on behalf of Israel). This shared belief has resulted in some strange and unnatural friendships like Pak - China. Pakistan doesnt share any history, culture, language, food or religion with China. The only border that it shares is blocked by some of the world's highest peaks and mountains. There is hardly any poeple to people contact between the two countries. But despite all these boundries Pakistan's most trusted and closest friend is CHINA.

The ESTABLISHMENT comes into action whenever they hunch a threat to the secuirty to their religion/country. The ESTABLISHMENT strongly believes that they are the most patriotic and religious poeple and hence they see the common man as not worthy of conusltations.

Over a period of time the history has revealed certain "roles" which by virtue of their position form the integral part of the ESTABLISHMENT. These roles are Cheif of Army Staff (Militray), The President of Pakistan (Politician), Head of ISI (Inteligence Agency), US Ambassador to Pakistan (whoever it is), CIA - Pakistan Desk Incharge (US Inteligence Agency), Jamat e Islami (Religious / Political Party), Banks like BCCI, Bolan Bank, Al Fallah and UBL, Tablighi Jammat (The largest social networking group in the world, over a million poeple meet face to face atleast once a year in Raiwind, this is the most diverse group consisting of Mullahs, Doctors, Businessmen, Scientists, Retired Army Officers, Celebrities, Politicians, Sports stars etc).

Besides these organizations there are individuals who remain active in POWER BREAKING. These individuals according to few journalists are Qazi Hussain Ahmed, Sharifudin Pirzada, Hussain Haqqani, Gen (Retd) Mirza Aslam Beg, Gen (Retd) Hameed Gul, Senator Mushahid Hussain, Pir Pagara, Gen (Retd) Asad Durrani etc

The establishment is generally backed by certain Muslim brotherly countries as well. The establishment sometimes act against the will of common man (Democratically elected Govts even Prime Ministers), leaving common man completely confused and uninvolved. They are notorious to hijack foriegn policies.

The ESTABLISHMENT's belief has resulted it Nuclear export controversy thru Dr. A Q Khan, the ideology has also resulted in Al Qaeda, Taliban, Lashkar e Jhangavi, Lashkar e Taiba, Harkat ul Ansar which are brining hell on the world and resultantly on Pakistan. According to them the blood of Pakistanis is part of the over all collateral damage.

Many argue that the Establishment has made Pakistan's defence stronger. However, may beleive that their actions have left Pakistan bleeding. The religious extremism in Pakistan, the insurgency in Kashmir, the rise of Taliban, Narcotics trade, Nuclear export scandals, export of religious fundamentalism are all part of the actions of THE ESTABLISHMENT.

Mind you Pakistan was created by Jinnah ( a secular Muslim, khoja shia by birth, ... a gujrati speaking by family, british educated lawyer by profession and a husband of a parsi wife). The political party Muslim League which is accredited to found Pakistan was made by Agha Khan and Nawabs of Bengal. The Aga Khanis, Shias are completely marginalized in the modern day Pakistan, Bengal is no more part of Pakistan. The secular idea of Pakistan was hijacked by Tablighi Jamat and Jamat e Islami who never supported the IDEA OF CREATING PAKISTAN. The first Prime Minister of Pakistan was shot dead, the most revered politician / Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto was hanged in a judical consipracy, Two times democratically elected Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was kicked out (once because of his own fault though), Two times democratically elected Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was fired twice (again once for her own fault). The last straw was on 27th Dec when pro Establishment terrorists killed Benazir Bhutto. It was a final attack of THE ESTABLISHMENT on the left over symbol of DEMOCRATIC WILL of the PEOPLE OF PAKISTAN. ..... but what they dont know is the fact that it aint over YET !!!

The game has entered into the final round now. Though people of Pakistan has put Asif Ali Zardari in charge who has a chekered history but he is the last hope besides Nawaz Sharif and few other. The ESTABLISHMENT is once again very active playing its role to finish the leadership so that all possible choices should end and the people of Pakistan should surrender to the will of ESTABLISHMENT.

My advise to the fellow countrymen is to support Democracy and the way to do is to support Zardari regardless of what he does, or what you read about him. Help him to win this round. If we survived we will have a second round and then you can elect who ever you want to. But if Mr. Zardari fails we fail. The survival depends upon him. This is exactly what Nawaz Sharif and Makhdoom Amin Fahim is doing. They know their survival is in this final round and for once they are right.

Long live Jinnah's Pakistan.