Farheed Zakaria on Musharraf and Pakistan in Newsweek

Farheed claims that Parvez Musharraf, whom he so admired, is now just holding on to power and should let go. He suggests that the once admired president would create a great legacy that brought Pakistan’s economy under control, and stopped the country from breaking into civil strife. I think Farheed Zakaria is being naive. He has forgotten the maxim ‘He that rides the Tiger’. The day Musharraf aligned himself with the American troops against his own people in the tribal hills bordering Afghanistan, he was a marked man. He knows that the day he gives up power, and no longer has the security that a president has, he either has to leave the country to a safe haven in the US, or will become an easier target for the fundamentalists – and rather like Benazir herself – with minimum security.

9 thoughts on “Farheed Zakaria on Musharraf and Pakistan in Newsweek

  1. I think that is gonna happen anyway.. Sooner or later, fundamentalists(religious or people who want democracy) will get him..I think he should step down and save some dignity..

  2. Dear Shekhar,
    Musharraf had no option to not align with the America and even at that point it was a move to continue being in power. Almost all people want to hold on to power once they have it, so Musharraf is no exception and he is human. His security will definitely suffer if he goes out of power but he is a very intelligent person and I’m sure he’ll make good decsions and be safe. America wants him as he is one person (a face) they can talk to and trust. You can’t be at the top politically in any volatile country and not be a marked man. Given the chaos in the country in the last 6-7 yrs he has done very well, but as far as general opinion goes his time is over, just that there is no worthy successor to run a country in disarray, so that might just be a good reason for him to continue being in power. Just imagine what would have happened had he not aligned with America and been loyal to the tribals and fundamentalists, we’ll have another Iraq next door, bombed to smithereens, so ironically he has given life to all these tribals and fundamentalists by aligning with America diplomatically, and they should thank him for that.
    Best Regards,
    Himanshu

  3. Good Morning Shekhar….
    Kaise hai aap?
    Nice to see you back….
    Ye politics, maari samaj mah na aveh hai….ghano dimag garam kareh se….
    Shmileeee

  4. We humans first admire the leader,support him to be on top and then love it even more sripping him off the power that we ourselves gave!Thats the irony of life that ther are critics in every field of work…What Musharraf did is get global attention to Pakistan making it visible on the Atlas also there exists a very modern and updated Pakistan that the rest of us are unaware of!Pakistan required a dictator at the time and Musharraf stepped in saving the day so think its time to save him too…whether a puppet or a catalyst,he survived it in Pakistan minus getting exiled or killed…smart move,a great politician!!Nepal is a neighbour too and no one there gave the KING an oppertunity to RULE or nor did he takeover the country as the politicians always RULED along with the MAOISTS yet when the time came to blame someone the helpless KING was blamed for what he did not do or did not have a chance to do……….now look at what has happened to NEPAL,its in disaterous state..the MAOISTS are the dictators ruling and ruining the country stripping it off all the glory…the Maoists and present Politicians have pocketted billons of rupees opened swiss accounts and raping the nation off all the wealth it has!India helped the Nepales in getting the KING down for they need the water and electricity towards their fast growing technologigal boom,etc and Nepal being one of the worlds richest countries in water with naive innocent non materialistic mass of people its a good deal for them to pay next to nothing for all that they take from the so called one of the poorest countries of the world!China has TIBET and India wants NEPAL or rather has it….the peace treaty between India and China leaving both Tibetans and Nepalese in a state of limbo!
    India keeps His Holiness Dalai Lama one one hand and then on the other hand pressurized the King to shut down the Tibetan Embassy in Nepal..what was that about?India and Nepal share an open border and now there exists nothing of that border as India has occupied Nepalese territory,its land and water resourses……and then India fights with Pakistan about Kashmir,haha”………………..India has no conscious to occupy a country that is anyway smaller than any of its states!GREED!!
    Nepal was regarded as a PEACE KEEPING ZONE but with INDIA harbouring the MAOISTS it has undoubtedly made Nepal a sad place..where satisfaction and smiles of innocence were now exists blank scared looks into space!Its chilling winter and Nepal doesn’t have electricity with darkness prevailing most of the times that makes you feel you are living back in the past………..one of the richest countries in water with no electricity?Yes darling no electricity as all of it has been sold to India for PEANUTS!!Thats how one becomes a superpower!
    Bush/US,India,China…which one is different from the other?None!Rich get richer…poor get poorer everywhere…………..Kaliyuga!!
    AND NO ONE SPEAKS UP FOR THE RIGHT FOR THE FEAR OF GETTING KILLED,RIGHT???
    Shekhar,it would be nice and challenging to see you write about what is not the news…create news…awareness is spread through FAMOUS ones like you!

  5. Dear Shekharji,
    ..just now i saw lead india on star one(its repeat will be telecast on monday at 7), and have been prompted within to talk about it to you every time i see it. Its an interesting initiative by Times of India and would have been an ultimate-effective wonder if you would have directed it. The issues taken up are similar lines to the ones on your blog. Your blog is a self sharing self introspection self unfolding/widening platform for the seekers or the wise otherwise. Lead India is something on the same lines and an innovative + effective use of medium of television. I would like you(and other friends on this blog) to watch this episode(on Monday) especially the last topic regarding position of muslims in India…and the perspective with which javed akhtar saheb described it in the end..it is a very important issue..i would like you to share your wisdom on this.
    I wish you could actually create/direct a program like this, and much stronger one..around the content of your blog. O…u actually can involve all the people on your blog and create something worth watching on the idiot box.
    I would suggest you to atleast take up a parallel discussion on it on your blog about the above mentioned topic(after watching the show) or about the show in general, so that we get some more viewpoints on it and build a multi-perspective for everyone present over here.
    (also the second topic in the program – the rape and its prosecution in India)

  6. shekar fareed zakaria happens to be one of the biggest chumchas going around he defends the british raj he glorifies american imperialism he hates indian culture and he also happens to be an admirer of kisssinger regan and american dominance. mehernosh

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