Monday 19 November 2007

What Supreme Court could have done

What Supreme Court could have done. (Frontier Post 17 nov 2007)

I wrote on the subject in March 2007, under the title “Knowing When to Stop” ( Dawn 28th March 2007 & Frontier Post 27th March 2007). It is very tempting for me to say “ I told you!”, but the events are too traumatic for me to do that.

I said then that our nation always extracts defeat from the jaws of victory, because we do not learn when to stop. This happened in 1969, 1977 and 1997. Having achieved 90 per cent of our goals, we do not stop and consolidate our position. We go on fighting to achieve total humiliation of the opponent. Instead of a 100 per cent victory, we end up with total defeat.

This time, the Supreme Court had asserted itself and would have had a major role to play in our national affairs, in future years, had the Court avoided the path of confrontation. This should have been done,not under any pressure, but in the supreme national interest. The Court could have declared that the President’s election would be valid, but with the following conditions:
1. Gen Musharraf will give up the Army uniform BEFORE he takes the new oath as President. In this way Gen Musharraf will be a civilian when he takes the oath.
2. Gen Kiyani will be sworn in as Army Chief, in the same ceremony, immediately after the Presidential oath.
3. Gen Musharraf must seek a new vote of confidence from the next assemblies, within a specified time. If the vote of confidence is not granted, the office of the President will become vacant.

Alas, it was not to be!

Khalid A
London UK

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