The writer is an Economics and Political Science graduate from LUMS, working as a management associate at USAID’s Agribusiness Project. Taimur is also a musician who plays the drums. He tweets @TaimurF
Did General Abdul Fatah Khalil al Sisi and his loyal comrades truly believe that Morsi and the rest could do away with political tantrums in a mere two days after a year of disagreement? Or was this deadline a mere spectacle to divert the attention of locals and foreigners eyeing the political situation closely, from planning and executing a coup that in most cases is done months in advance? We will never know.
However, one wonders what the implication of Egypt’s coup will be on our beloved country that has witnessed a barrage of similar military coups. Is there a possibility of a military coup in Pakistan in context of what has happened in Egypt? The answer is yes. The case of Egypt has provided an impetus to the pro-martial law faction of our society. Although much is being done to curb the menace of martial law locally, an international precedence has been set, which dictates that the room for a military coup still exists even in this day and age if governments fail to deliver.
Contenders to this argument would suggest that Pakistan’s experiences of military rule have left such a sour taste in the mouth and that institutions in Pakistan are now vibrant enough to openly and collectively oppose any form of intervention to democracy. Their argument is valid, but it is also true that events leading to a military coup do not follow a logical path. It takes just one act, one spark to light a whole forest.
Can we deny the possibility of circumstances where people, fed up with the deteriorating security situation and inflation, refuse to stay peaceful at the behest of the government? Besides, it does not necessarily have to be a coup that follows the model of its predecessors. Just like in Egypt, the ouster of the government is possible here in tandem with institutions that are, at least on paper, far more credible than the government.
Also, steps taken locally to curb military coups are humorous to say the least.
Somewhere in our history, a mistake was made in deciphering the meaning of Pakistan. It is the “land of the pure and unpredictable”. There is no country like us.
To my Egyptian brethren witnessing history-in-the-making in their country, I advise the following: stay put and do not give much leverage to your beloved general. They have a tendency to really prolong their stay.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 6th, 2013.
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COMMENTS (15)
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Morsi Pakistan bhai bhai, get your stranded Pakistanis from Bangladesh. Funny bunch, rab rakha
@Reality Check: The joke is that some people like you still think that the Muslim Brotherhood, with all its Salafi brutes rampaging, have any legitimacy in Egypt. As for the revolutionaries, they represent the millions and millions of people who do want to sacrifice Egypt's political sovereignty, economy and culture to the outside forces by whom the MB and Salafis are funded. In other words, the sad joke is on places like Pakistan where the people have allowed exactly this to happen, but still can't see it.
More than just * not trusting the GENERALS* is the implicit tendency of hoping that a STRONG leader will work wonders.
The strongest leadership shoud be a working WEAK democracy.
strongman-powercorrupts !!!!!
The Egyptian army has pulled off the coup for the same reason Pakistan's army has done it in the past (and may do in the future): to protect its power, its (Brahmin-like) privileges, and its vast economic empire. Any Pakistani or Egyptian general who claims that their political interference is for the greater good of the country is lying with an inner conviction that we, the citizens, have a single-digit IQ and would fall for such white lies.
@Skeptic: Egypt has made itself a joke in the whole world due to the immaturity shown by egyptian folks during last two years or so. I really cannot understand what egyptians really want, their country was peaceful under Mubarak , they got him removed by so-called revolution, then mursi is elected by the majority of egyptions in the electoral process and just after one year of his presidency the egyptians have made another revolution against their own revolution a year earlier. I mean what kind joke is it.
After launching the coup, in his televised speech Gen. Sisi presented a road map. The first two points in the road map are; a - The temporary suspension of the constitution. b- The Chief Justice of the Supreme Constitutional Court to take the constitutional oath before the Supreme Constitutional Court General Assembly.
It would be funny if not so tragic. The Chief Justice of Supreme ‘Constitutional Court’ is quite eager and willing to take a ‘Constitutional Oath’ before the other judges of Constitutonal Court even though the constitution is suspended. I thought he would resist the suspension of constitution or at-least shy away from calling his oath as the ‘Constitutional Oath’ or not to take it before the whole Constitutional Court. This reminds us of our own Justice Munir. Egypt is following in Pakistan’s footsteps. The author is correct in warning people of Egypt but the die is already cast.
English version of the road map: https://www.facebook.com/Egy.Army.Spox/posts/335803989883923
No one in any country should trust army generals and that includes pakistan too.
The problem, with us Pakistanis is, that we consider ourselves as an authority over everything, Imagine, Egypt a country thousand of miles away, with its own package, issues, fragmented society, ground realities, going through turbulent times, and this writer has the audacity to give them advice, just because he has a political science degree? this is hilarious. It was indeed funny to watch our anchors going crazy about Egypt and the coup, while the region which will the most impact was welcoming it with open hearts and arms, no anchor had the audacity to question the working of brotherhood and its militant wings, no anchor asked abt the al-qaeda flags in their rallies, no anchor asked abt how Morsi banned opposition leaders to be part of political system, nobody asked how brotherhood was diving Egyptians, but here we were the front runners in all talk no action, hypocrite style , Pakistani drawing-room chatter boxes, going crazy. Interestingly the leaders who went crazy after Egyptian army, and how they are robbing brotherhood of their rights, will always stay quite on Pakistani civilians being killed by TTP. This writer is the best example of a delusional, paper-book, Che Guevara who just want to be in the limelight come what may. My Advice to him, STOP ADVISING the Egyptians and go back playing your drums and mature up kido.
Pakistanis love to have generals in their country- but not in Egypt. Funny?
Agree - if only they had read about the experiences of ZAB and NS.
Dear writer, some important corrections:
Army did not take over Government in Egypt, technically not a coup but a unconstitutional removal of an elected Government. By the way, Morsi door to Government was opened in a similar manner, army removing Hosni Mubarak from his office. So they say, what goes around, comes around. Pakistan and Egyptian coups/takeovers/removals have nothing in common. In Egypt, Hosni Mubarak had to be removed from office having been there for more than 20 years, whereas Musharraf conducted free and fair elections handing over office in a peaceful manner. Pakistan has had functional democracies whereas this was the first Egyptian experience.Regards
Following the editorial 'Egypt: Back to Square One,' featured yesterday, here comes another article in the Pakistani press illustrating the distance between events in Egypt and the Pakistani understanding of them. Here's the general view from Egyptians involved in the revolution for the past two years, including such intellectuals as Samir Amin, al-Baradei and others. They see Mursi and the Muslim Brotherhood as firmly undemocratic and the MB's one year of rule has proven that: a constitution not promulgated by the people, the stoking of sectarian violence, the continued blockade of Gaza, the privatization of state assets (including aspects of the Suez Canal) - all in direct contravention of agreements made with the activists, intellectuals and others who stepped aside to allow the MB to take power peacefully. All attempts at conciliatory politics, including a petition of 20 million signatures and streets filled with as many people calling for Mursi to step down (10 million more than voted for Mursi in the first place), have been shunned by the MB. Elections do not make democracy. Although direct comparisons can not be made, it should not be forgotten that even Hitler was elected. And as for the generals, they must not be trusted. But they also know that should they fall foul of the people, they will face no smaller demonstrations and petitions. Comparisons can't be made with Pakistani 'coups,' because Pakistanis have never come out into the streets and organized civil disobedience on such a scale, forcing the military to act on the people's behalf, rather than merely in the interests of the military.
I agree with your advise in the end. There is a not so accidental fact that I noticed right away. Why are military takeovers in Egypt and Pakistan usually occur around the US Independence Day? Zia and the current Egyptian coup are two examples that when the US population is busy in celebrations and away from the news (to condemn coups).
I agree. Generals cannot be trusted. I am disappointed that opposition has embraced forces of the military, which has wielded too much power since 1952. The military was the force behind Mr. Mubarak, then became the protesters’ protector when Mr. Mubarak was overthrown. Subsequently, the generals became the interim government, only to incur the peoples’ wrath when they proved inept at governing yet clung to power even after Mr. Morsi was elected. I find a parallel of events of 1977 in Pakistan when army dismissed Bhutto’s government and promised fair elections within 90 days. As it turned out the 90 days wait lasted for more than ten years.