Previously Pakistani leaders who have gone to pay homage to the “custodians of Islam’s holiest places” did not want the people at home to know the real purpose of such visits. But the General has broken with this noble tradition by declaring his real intentions publicly
These days, former President and ex-Commander-in-Chief of Pakistan’s Armed Forces, General Pervez Musharraf, is stationed in Dubai. He flew in there from his self-imposed exile even before setting foot in Pakistan. Press reports indicate that he plans to meet with rulers of the UAE and Saudi Arabia to seek financial, political and moral support for rebuilding his political career and to energize his power base in Pakistan.
At the same time, the current President of Pakistan, Mr. Asif Ali Zardari who had returned recently from the UAE after having received medical treatment, suddenly flew back to Dubai for participating in a ‘wedding ceremony’.
It should be recalled that Mian Nawaz Sharif, the former Prime Minister and the current leading opposition figure in Pakistan’s Parliament, was also flown to Saudi Arabia when he lost power to General Musharraf as a result of military coup.
It seems that Pakistan is a unique country from where top military, political and religious leaders keep on flying out regularly to foreign lands especially to oil rich Gulf Arab states in order to seek financial and political help.
Obviously, road from Islamabad to Dubai and Riyadh must be paved with gold since numerous members of Pakistani military, political and religious elite keep on rushing along that path to seek their personal fortunes.
It is hardly a secret that the main purpose of such visits has always been to beg for more money, religious blessings and political endorsements from the oil rich Arab kings and emirs of the Arabian Peninsula. However, previously Pakistani leaders who have gone there in the past to pay homage to the “custodians of Islam’s holiest places” and other royals did not want the people at home to know the real purpose of such visits. Instead, they were widely publicized as ‘haj’ [pilgrimage] or umra visits. But surprisingly, the good General has broken with this noble tradition by declaring his real intentions openly and publicly.
It seems that Jeddah and Dubai have all the needed luxuries and appropriate facilities to welcome every deposed dictator, despot ruler and any other discarded political and military leader from an Arab/Islamic country but more specifically from Pakistan. It is possible and even highly desirable at this particular time that General Musharraf should examine carefully all his options for enjoying traditional Arab hospitality under relative safety, security and luxurious conditions. After all, his main political adversary, Mian Nawaz Sharif, and his family did the same when forced out of Pakistan. However, as every one knows playing power-politics games is a two-way street requiring hard bargaining which may result in eventual exchange of the needed cash, precious goods and desired services.
In other words, General Musharraf cannot hope to receive large cash gifts and other favours from rich Arab regimes, Western powers, China and others without offering things in return.
What the good General can offer to these rich Arabs?
Recognizing the unending appetite of Saudi clan to spread widely their locally-minted rigid, violent and discriminatory version of Islam, General Musharraf may promise to:
1. Keep on continuing the ‘ good work’ started by late Gen. Zial-ul-Haq for turning Pakistan into a carbon copy of Saudi society
2. Open more madrassahs for Pakistani children in order to ensure mass production of blind followers of ‘mosque imams’ instead of properly educated, skilled and productive citizens of a progressive and modern state
3. Introduce more rigid Sharia and blasphemy laws in Pakistan so that anyone who stands for secular, impartial and independent justice system meets the same fate as late Salman Taseer
4. Help to crush ‘Arab spring’
