Happy twenty ten

Karachi has never been tranquil. The city is no stranger to violence which haunts it on a daily basis, and has done for years, with the varied political targeted killings and other violent acts that take place. But, strangely, for the past two years of democratic dispensation it has not been visited by suicide bombers, despite the presence here, said to be substantial, of the Taliban and madressahs which have groomed many of the elite who have taken up the TTP cause. Much cogitation has gone into the whys and wherefores of the absence in Karachi of those seeking a direct route to paradise. It has been rumoured that it is all a matter of 'deals' (which are relished in Pakistan) regarding turf. There is now therefore much scepticism as to exactly how and why the event of the 10th of Muharram took place. The actual suicide bombing (if there wan one) was obviously not spontaneous but then neither were the rioting, arson and mass destruction that immediately broke out. By whom, or what, and why was it inspired? Consensus has it that it was not purely a sectarian matter, that there is more to it. We know exactly who organised the killings, mayhem and riots in Karachi on May 12 2007, we know why the city suffered and burned after the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, but we can only make wild guesses when it comes to December 28 of this year. For this country - indeed for much of the world - 2009 has been a disaster. We all thought that nothing could be worse than 2007, but taken all round with the political blundering, the activities of the Taliban and the general air of gloom and doom that is pervasive, this past year has been no mean runner-up. What hopes are there for this year, the last year of the first decade of the century? Not too many, most would say. Apart from the agreement on the NFC Award there has been much contention all round. We have had the AfPak situation which spawned a virulent anti-Americanism with its real or imagined implications, the waging of the bitter fight against the Taliban (what is happening in Waziristan - it has disappeared from the air waves and print?), the Kerry-Lugar Bill fiasco totally overlooking the old adage that one must not look a gift horse in the mouth, the NRO short-long order which has sparked much valid criticism from those who have read the constitution coupled with the shamelessness of the alleged looters of the national wealth who brazen out the awesome allegations against them and without batting a jaded eyelid exhibit their contempt for the people - all this and more plus the general muddied democratic political scenario. Meanwhile, the Cabinet which is metaphorically always all at sea, has literally been at sea. The Gwadar Gimmick - for sure the prime minister cannot identify the names and faces of all that make up this national blot. One other exceptional matter on which the agreement has been reached by all, except those who adhere to the PPP-Z, is the unfitness of the person who wangled his way into the position of head of state through a deal followed by a reneging on the deal, and a supine dishonest Parliament that afforded him the necessary votes. Yet another great indication that elections do not make democracy is the assemblies and the president we have in place. Judging from Asif Zardari's latest outburst on the death anniversary of his wife he would seem to be out of his depth as a political party co-chairman let alone as a head of state. His advisors are obviously as incompetent and clueless as is the president otherwise they would make sure that he never uttered in public. Zardari is on record as having said many moons ago that he knows who murdered his wife, and yet he befools the UN investigative team by not telling them. He is angry at the non-state actors who are hatching multiple conspiracies against him without naming them. He rubbishes the people in whose name his party was founded by his incoherent outpourings, and he wittingly takes on the army, the country's largest, richest and most organised party, whilst posing as its supreme commander. The presidential demeanour was as scary as the words that poured out of his mouth and he made it abundantly clear that he, as is the case with his fellow NROers, is going nowhere. In fact, if he moves anywhere it will be out of one power centre to another, when and if he surrenders the powers given to him under his predecessor's 17th constitutional amendment, which powers he is incompetent to exercise. He is surrounded by gutless party people who will bend to his will and if he should decide to transfer the presidential powers to the prime minister he intends to transfer himself with them. If he by the symbol of the federation, where does that leave the federation. So be it, and so will it be until the master-of-all-ceremonies Pakistani, the USA, decides otherwise. Carpe diem anyone? The writer is a freelance columnist. Email: jilani.amina@gmail.com