The late Eqbal Ahmad once wrote, "It has all been said before. Yet those who should, do not listen. And, as in talking to the deaf, one is compelled to repeat in louder, more agitated tones: The army may bring temporary relief. But the problem is eminently political; it shall not yield to military solution." There is little more that needs to be said about the situation in Pakistan after the 12 October coup by Gen Pervez Musharraf. But, unfortunately, more will have to be said, loudly for too many people, memories have become short, and the needs of the moment have silenced the warnings of conscience, history and political sense.
To understand the origin and character of the present coup requires going back to the beginning of Pakistan. The decade following Partition and Independence was one of enormous political instability and opportunism. There were seven prime ministers and four governor-generals between 1947 and 1958. (In this, it closely resembled the 1990s, which has seen seven prime ministers and three presidents.) In mid-1958, Gen Ayub Khan, then head of the army and defence minis-ter, wrote in his diary: "I am receiving very depressing reports of economic distress and maladministration through political interference, frus-tration and complete lack of faith by the people in political leaders… The general belief is that none of these men have the honesty of purpose, integrity and patriotism to root out the evils of the country, which will require drastic action."
The action came on 7 October 1958, when president Iskander Mirza abrogated the constitution land appointed Gen Ayub Khan Chief Martial Law Administrator. Ayub Khan addressed the nation on radio the following day, describing the move as "a drastic and extreme step taken with great reluctance" and that "there was no alternative to it except the disintegration and complete ruination of the country". The situation was one of "total administrative, economic, political and moral chaos" brought about "by self-seekers, who in the garb of political leaders, have ravaged the country".
Ayub Khan's 1958 text could have served as Gen Pervez Musharraf's speech to the nation on 17 October this year. Claiming, like Ayub Khan, that the military had to take over to save the country, Gen Musharraf said: "There is despondency and hopelessness surrounding us with no light visible anywhere around… We have reached a stage where our economy has crumbled, our credibility is lost, state institutions lie demolished."