Talking the talk

The impact of Musharraf8217;s assertions was reflected in the question posed to me by a European intellectual in the Conference Centre Lounge of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. 8220;When he has so much contempt for his own nation why does Musharraf want to lead it?8221; he wondered.

Before arriving in Davos, Musharraf gave a longish speech in Brussels during which he argued that Pakistan should not be judged by European standards of human rights. He pleaded with members of the European Parliament to have 8220;more patience8221; with his unique brand of constitution-suspending 8220;democracy.8221; Musharraf8217;s exact words were, 8220;We are for democracy and I have introduced the essence of democracy, but we cannot be as forward looking as you are in the West. Allow us some time to reach that state.8221;

Describing the West8217;s concern with democracy in the third world as an 8220;obsession,8221; he said, 8220;You have taken centuries to reach where you have come. Allow us time for going for the value that you have reached for yourself.8221;

The problem with that line of reasoning is that it raises questions about Pakistan8217;s preparedness for modernity. If Pakistan is modern enough to be a nuclear weapons power and an attractive destination for foreign investment, why does it have a problem embracing modern democracy? If it needs time to be 8220;forward looking8221; then why should the backwardness apply selectively to human rights and democracy and not to the other characteristics of being a modern power?

Apart from muddying the waters about the prospect of human rights and democracy in Pakistan, Musharraf also confused interviewers and audiences about Pakistan8217;s priorities in the war against terrorism. He told his audience at the French Institute for International Relations that it is more important for his Pakistani troops on the Afghan border to root out the Taliban than searching for Al-Qaeda leaders.

The problem is many westerners remember that from 2002 onwards, Musharraf8217;s line used to be 8220;We are going after Al-Qaeda but the Taliban are not such a priority.8221; His latest U-turn is bound to result in many new research papers and articles in days to come.

Musharraf should not have wasted time touring European capitals to try and convince western governments of Pakistan8217;s stability and his own good intentions. He should, instead, have faced the evaporation of support for his authoritarian regime at home. His trip has helped project Pakistan as a troubled country and his own attitude during that trip has not helped his own battered image.

A simple browsing of all the interviews Musharraf gave during this trip reveals an unwillingness to make adjustments or acknowledge mistakes.

He told one interviewer that he would leave power when he is convinced that the people of Pakistan want him to quit. But it would only be his 8220;feeling8221;, not the results of an election or opinion poll that would determine when the people no longer support him. Such reasoning might have impressed Musharraf8217;s own entourage, it only attracted sighs or giggles from outsiders.

When Nik Gowing of BBC World TV asked him about the statement by 100 retired senior military officers demanding his resignation, Musharraf8217;s response was that only 10 people had signed the statement. This made him appear like a ruler out of touch with reality. His description of the statement8217;s signatories as 8220;insignificant personalities8221; some of whom had 8220;served under me and I kicked them out8221; showed him to be arrogant. The dignified response from Musharraf to a statement by senior retired military men would have been silence.

On the occasion of Musharraf8217;s meeting with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown at 10 Downing Street, the media reported that 30 pro-Musharraf demonstrators showed up with his portraits to face several hundred opponents.

The one is to 10 ratio of supporters to opponents in Londonistan exposed Musharraf8217;s lack of support in Pakistan even further.

The writer is director of Boston University8217;s Centre for International Relations haqqanibu.edu