What are bloggers in the Middle East saying about the latest developments in Pakistan? The reactions range from launching petitions to stop martial law to satire, from advice to lamenting over badly-timed opportunities.
Mideast Youth:
Writing in Mideast Youth, Umar Farooq discusses [1] marital law in Pakistan.
“Emergency as proclaimed by Musharraf’s regime is just a pretty word to replace a visibly harmful noun ‘Martial Law’. Without being partial, it can be easily said that the current step by General Musharraf’s government is in fact an imposition of Martial Law and not that of an emergency,” he explains.
Farooq further adds:
(The) larger population of Pakistan is peaceful. However, due to certain harsh and unjust policies of Musharraf’s regime has made certain areas of Pakistan vulnerable to extremist mindset. Such policies and its effects could only come to end with an end of Musharraf’s regime. However, to attain this goal, the world must help the people of Pakistan by giving a strong message to Musharraf’s regime.
This message should first incorporate an unconditional with drawl of the proclamation of emergency (Martial Law) and then should invoke Musharraf’s regime to ensure free and fair elections in Pakistan, according to schedule.
Mideast Youth is also sponsoring a petition to stop supporting marital law in Pakistan here [2].
Palestine:
Kabobfest‘s Will deals [3] with the issue with satire. He writes:
“On behalf of several Arab states, the Palestinian Authority and Israel, KABOBfest welcomes Pakistan to the exclusive club of states under emergency law. Though these are long-time members of this esteemed, exceptional group, a Musharraf-led Pakistan should fit right in…
In solidarity, and to deal with the greatest threat to KABOBfest security, I declare a state of emergency for this blog. I am suspending open commenting access, will rigorously edit and screen posts, and am cutting down on flirtatious dalliance on the KABOBfest e-mail listserv until the “anonymous” terrorists attacking us in the comments section halt their assaults,” he writes.
Egypt:
In Egypt, blogger Zenobia comments [4] on the events in Pakistan in a post entitled Musharaff's Last Dance in Pakistan.
“What you are seeing in Pakistan is Pervez Musharaff's last dance , this is how dictators act when they feel that their thrones and rule are in danger.
What Prevez is doing is not an attack on democracy , what he is doing is just like suicidal attack in order to preserve his existence it is very simple , the man feels that he is unwanted especially after the huge receptions Bhutto had received despite that huge terrible terrorist act,” she notes.
Zeinobia further adds:
“It is very sad to see what is happening in Pakistan , the real Islamic country with a real nuclear power , forget about Iran , Pakistan has a Nuclear weapon already first
Pervez is a real classical example of a dictatorship that depends on both the army and the west , now the west is leaving him behind because depending dictators like Musharaff proved it brought nothing to the west except destruction , the only power the general is depending on is the army and that's why I predict that he will be removed insh Allah soon enough either by an army coup just like the one he led from a couple of years and brought him to the rule
By the way that rush of arrests in Pakistan reminds me so much with the infamous September arrests that proceeded directly the assassination of President Sadat , Fool Musharaff should learn for the other's mistakes.”
Turkey:
From Turkey, Metin feels [5]that the developments in Pakistan have overshadowed the visit of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan [6] to the US.
“Of course, the situation in Pakistan with Musharraf, the former poster child of the U.S. until Benazir Bhutto came back on the scene, overshadowed the Erdogan visit . . . once again, poor timing by the Turks,” he writes.