Web Letters: Bush Stands By His Dictator

As much as I dislike the imposition of emergency in Pakistan, I disagree with Mr.Scheer's writings about general Musharraf's action. The declaration of emergency is a constitutionally available power to the president of Pakistan. The self-proclaimed champions of democracy, Mr. Nawaz Sharif and Ms. Benazir Bhutto, each has had twice the opportunity to do away with with the president's power to declare emergency by amending the constitution. But they chose not to do so because both installed their "yes men" as presidents during their tenures as prime minister of Pakistan. They wanted to have this power available to perpetuate their rule in the time of "need." By the way, these two champions of democracy that the Western media love so much are the lifetime heads of their respective political parties. They never allow elections in their parties so that a leader for their parties could be chosen democratically by a vote. How do you expect them to bring democracy to Pakistan?

No one in the media is reporting the fighting going on in the Swat area in Pakistan to get rid of the terrorists who are holding the general population hostage. President Musharraf is working hard to achieve the stated purposes of the declaration of emergency by fighting those terrorists.

Its the same media who, a few months ago, were criticizing President Musharraf for not doing enough against the war on terror. Now when he tries to do it, the media found another angle to criticize him.

The arm chair experts like Mr. Scheer, who probably has never set foot in Pakistan, suddenly start to act as an authority on the internal politics of Pakistan. Sorry, sir, I suggest you go down there, get your feet wet and then write about Pakistan and its politics.

Pakistan can not afford to be governed by the corrupt politicians of the past.

Mohammad Ali Mughal

Chandler, AZ