Govt derails PPP's rally attempt

Rawalpindi has more army men then stones. And also eight suicide bombers. This was the reason why Benazir was placed under house arrest...for her own security, said the ISPR chief, or someone else from the quasi-militant agency that reigns atop the government hierarchy.

Police was stationed at the roads leading to the house of the BB and party-members were refused to enter the avenue and BB was denied the liberty to leave. There were scuffles and arrests ofcourse.

The government had already refused permission to hold the rally and with the emergency in place, I don't know what the ruckus is about. Either there is an emergency or there is none. If you can't weild the baton for good measure, than you should be baking bread at home, as the dominant chauvinist local maxim goes.

However, the baton was weilded to good measure and quite a few heads opened up. Open heads (or minds?) are also part of Enlightened moderation, don't you think?

The inspector general of Punjab had said that the law would run its course and it did; but isn't it part of the law that tear-gas shells are shot in the air and not aimed at protesting head? But thats how protestors are generally dispelled and we are only learning to master habits and this one needs to evolve further. Tear-gas snipping is next on the agenda but only if America pulls off another Iraq style invasion in Afghanistan and have busty GI babes train our lads.

Official quotes put the number of arrested PPP workers at 800 but that was by the morning of the day of teh rally. Once it was found out that the leader was under house arrest, the protestors intensity increased and there was further crackdown. The joining of hands of lawyers and students made things more difficult. Students at LUMS and BNU in Lahore and Quaid-e-Azam university in Islamabad were instrumental in holding flash protests to show their dissent.

But PPPs show of strength was spoiled as inspite of international pressure and Uncle Bush's phone call, the restraint order was not repealed until evening, and by then the winds had been taken out of the sails.

Cynics, though, claim that the aforementioned sail is in tatters and uncle sam is trying to provide the purple patch by bringing a reconciliation between BB and Mush.

Which is my fear. If, after all the protesting, most of which is yet to come, BB gives in to Machivalliaen deal, the blow that will be delivered to our spirits will be obscene.

The only option, then, will be to have Iqbal Hussain paint the nations portrait in his image.