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Indybay Feature

Catch-22 for a Pakistani-American

by NAM (reposted)
Originally From New America Media

Friday, November 9, 2007 : Within an hour of learning of the emergency imposition in Pakistan my back revolted by herniating a disc, paralyzing me in 25/10 pain, putting my mind in a narcosis induced not only by opiates, but the shocking turn of events in Pakistan.
Suffocating screams it took an eternity to lie down and thereafter I lay frozen on my side, for the slightest movement sent lancinating pain down the back into the leg. And what a Catch-22, I wanted nothing more than to hear, minute by minute what was happening in Pakistan, and then again there was nothing else I could do.

First the Supreme Court judges who called the emergency imposition unconstitutional were surrounded and held for several hours in the Supreme Court building. Then I saw Justice Abdul Hamid Dogar take the oath as Chief Justice under Musharraf’s Provisional Constitutional Order; maybe his sharply down turned mouth is representative of his deeply unhappy conscience. And then another part of me said, no, people such as that buried their consciences ages ago. Or perhaps he can be likened to members of the oldest profession, where the enticement of money or power can make individuals stoop low.

Then in my pain and narcosis I saw Benazir Bhutto land back in Pakistan from Dubai. It is published now that Benazir knew prior to going to Dubai that emergency would be declared. She called the state of emergency actually martial law. A week ago she had sworn that if emergency were declared the people would come out on the streets. At the time of this writing it is 55 hours that emergency was declared, and a small number of individuals have protested, but 1500 or so lawyers have. Where are the 200,000 PPP workers that came to welcome her to Pakistan? What happened to her promise that the people would come out on the streets? Having trouble, Benazir, getting people to come out to face baton charge and tear gas? Or are you too busy making some back-door deal with General Musharraf?

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