KARACHI, Dec 6: Pir Pagara, chief of Pakistan Muslim League of his own faction known as “Functional’, does not see next general elections in 2007 in the country as he said the powers that be did not have a party that could be relied upon. Predicting “one general after the other,” he added a bleak future awaited Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain.
Pir Pagara, who never hides his association with the GHQ, also foresees that the next prime minister of the country would neither be from Punjab nor from Sindh but from the armed forces”. However, in the given situation through which the country is passing, the continuation in power of President Musharraf was necessary because if a new president came to power, he would almost two years to understand the national issues.
The PML-F chief expressed these views in response to questionsasked by a visiting delegation of journalists from Punjab, who called on him at his residence, Kingri House on Wednesday afaternoon. When asked why he was not opposed to generals, he said that he was weak and could not afford to oppose generals.
“At present, he said, there is General Musharraf’s rule in the country and activists of Muttahida Qaumi Movement are his workers and as such President General Musharraf was in a better position to speak about their merits and demerits. However, he also said that MQM would not sustain this role for long.
Regarding the Women’s Protection Act, Pir Pagara said there was need for such legislation as he had been demanding from the very beginning to have such law as to “enjoy full freedom with in the four walls”.
About role of Maulvis in politics he said during General Ziaul Haq’s rule he had pointed out that Maulvis would be compelled to shave their beards. “I am not a man of the GHQ but its associate”.
Had he been a GHQ man he would not have differed at times with its policies and programmes. “Don’t consider Bahawalpur as part of the Punjab as in the past also people used to talk about bifurcating Punjab into two parts.
In reply to a question he said he had favoured the presidential form of government a number of times as there were not many honest people who could run the parliamentary form of the government but at lease one honest man could be there who would be able to run the presidential system smoothly.
Commenting on the PML factions he said that PML-Q was not Muslim League but “Jaat League” while other PMLs were creation of the army except PML-F which was real Muslim League recognised by the Supreme court and registered with the Election Commission as a separate entity.
He was asked if the law and order had improved in Karachi , Pir Pagara advised them if they roamed in the city some one would deprive them of their cell phone or vehicle, then they would know if there was a law and order situation in the city.
Regarding Kashmir , he said it was a 60-year-old issue and could not be solved in one meeting. But as far as he was concerned, Kashmir did not belong to us nor would be ours”.
He said in Balochistan what had been happening from Sardar Nauroze Khan to Nawab Akbar Bugti, was wrong.
When asked if he was satisfied with the performance of Chief Minister Dr Arbab Rahim he said it was irrelevant and meaningless for him .President Musharraf knew better whether he was satisfied with Arbab or not.
Comparing General Musharraf with General Ziaul Haq, Pir Pagara said General Zia had experience of living abroad while General Musharraf had passed most of his service in the country and his colleagues had brought him into power.
In reply to yet another question he said in view of the attitude of the large province with other smaller provinces, he did not see any cohesion among them.
About idea of Pakistan he said Allama Iqbal had not dreamed about Pakistan, but Sir Winston Churchill who told Sir Sikander Hayat in 1943 in Cairo that Britain was handing over Pakistan. Later Churchill had predicted that we would not be able to run Pakistan.
He also said that Hussain Shaheed Suhrawardi had opposed the formation of One Unit but after becoming the prime minister he had issued a statement retracting from his earlier position.
His attention was drawn towards the statement of MQM chief Altaf Hussain that General Pervez Musharraf was helpless before Maulvis, Pir Pagara said if the army was helpless before Maulvis, maybe the Maulvis would go to fight against India.
