In a very grim sort of way, Pakistan has become the most entertaining spot on the planet over the last two years or so.  The last year of General Musharraf’s quasi-military dictatorship was compelling especially with the growth of the local media channels that brought the furore and filth of Pakistani politics right into our pristine living rooms where we could sip tea and munch on peanuts, flicking from one channel to the next, watching the tragedy of a state set upon self destruction. 

Musharraf’s brutality and excesses that displayed a totally callous attitude to any form of dissent, even if it came from young teenaged school girls was disgraceful and showed his governance for what it was; a sham of a shackled democracy.   There was the Lal Masjid issue which threatened mayhem and then the waves of suicide bombings began.  Not a week goes by these days without some sort of barbarous suicide bombing and the news channels swoop like flies on a rotting corpse, all for a good cause no doubt.

The Marriot bombing shook the foundations of our homes - literally, yet we settled down in the comfort of our living rooms to watch in abject horror; compelled to watch until stinging eyes could take no more.   There was the stunning attack on the Sri Lankan cricketers just moments ago and now we have the Long March – an unlikely but determined union of parties all supporting the two year old Lawyers Movement, at least partly for their own gain. 

The Lawyers struggle for the restoration of the Chief Justice who had illegally been ousted by an equally illegitimate dictator became one of three focal points of the Election of 2007, the other being an anti-Musharraf message and the sympathy wave generated by the murder of Benazir Bhutto.  The late Benazir Bhutto saw the advantages of supporting what was clearly a popular movement and made sure she moved in step with the demands of the Lawyers.  She famously arrived at the Judges Colony to make her allegiance to Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhary well known and her party no doubt won a significant number of votes.  Sadly her Party in the hands of her husband has all but isolated all its true loyalists in a ridiculously short period of a single year and if there is to be a fanatical effort to maintain a Bhutto legacy for what its worth, the effort might shift its focus to an equally legitimate Bhutto; Fatima. 

That aside the 2^nd Long March which has largely united an umbrella of people who are rallying against a president who has reneged on his promises and is bent on turning himself into a supreme dictator surrounded by his cronies and henchmen.  Attached to this was an outrage against the illegally imposed Governor Raj in Punjab and indeed the Governor himself and the political disqualification of the Sharif brothers.  Overwhelmingly though, for most Pakistani’s not affiliated to any particular political party it was a March that that represented the undoing of a fundamental wrong that needed to be corrected before anything else could be set right, and we certainly know there are scores of things to start setting right. 

With the Judicial issue unsolved, all other issues would also remain entangled.  Now there is hope.  Yesterday when the largely peaceful rally started gathering in Lahore at first it appeared as though the Governor and Rehman Malik, the Interior Minister might be in for a chuckle or two yet slowly but surely the tide started to turn and the lawyers, party workers, civil society members started to gather defiantly one by one until a panic stricken police decided to use shelling and teargas to disperse the crowds.  It worked momentarily but minutes later there was a sea of re-emerging flags of PML-N, PTI and the JI as well as various left wing parties and of course committed members of the civil society reclaiming the GPO Chowk which was one of the focal points of yesterday’s momentous events. 

Aitezaz Ahsan, PPP loyalist and one of the leaders of the Lawyers movement mysteriously escaped house arrest to join the cavalcade, then Nawaz Sharif defied his house arrest order to take out a procession of hundreds that would turn into hundreds of thousands within a few hours.  One of the nations truly great and inspiring personalities, Human Rights Activists Asma Jehangir arrived on the scene and immediately made a telling impact.  The spark was lit and the flame was so spread faster than anyone could have imagined least of all the Troika of Zardari, Taseer and Malik.  Now, there could be no turning back.  

The earliest glasses clinked in celebration along the Power Corridors in drawing rooms of people who live on another planet around 10.30PM about a “deal” being done.  A couple of hours later the Prime Minister made a sober address to the nation to announce that the time had finally come to “complete promises made to the people”.  It was about time.

Though various political parties will claim credit for the outcome of the Long March it is ultimately a victory for the Lawyers Movement and their supporters.  That a government that defied all democratic norms and used all state means to crush a peaceful protest should now claim a great victory is beyond ridiculous.  The fact is, Asif Zardari, co-chairman (read King) of the PPP was forced to capitulate to a popular movement which was most avidly propelled and supported/used by his most fierce opponents.  The Long March has forced a pussyfooting and conniving government to take note that it can only go so far before the people will react.

Now it remains to be seen if we have the capability of moving on, something easier said than done.  There are irritants such as the fact that the new breed of politicians are to a great extent, blood-spawn of previous blood-suckers.  There are sons, daughters, nephews and nieces of political families that ought to be expunged and relegated to being garbaged relics from the darkest days of bankrupt governance. 

Secondly, with all due respect, Hilary Clinton needs to save her advice for those who ask for it and to think that there is a notion that she saved the day with her astute understanding and persuasive powers and well timed  phone calls is majestic farce of the most sublimely ridiculous kind. 

It’s an historic moment for Pakistan, perhaps the last chance to start from scratch and build from a sound foundation; an independent judiciary.  Pakistan has a new set of heroes and among them are the likes of Ahmed Ali Kurd, Aitezaz Ahsan, Tahira Abdullah and the Civil Society.  There are lawyers and the devoted workers of the various political parties who drove this historic Long March to a stunning and resounding success.  Even Sherry Rehman of the PPP has emerged with head held high being the only person in the history of Pakistani politics to ever resign on principle. A moment too for Feryal Ali Gauhar who rescued a pup who was being abused by the Lahori crowd as a symbol for President Zardari.  Pakistan has been granted a lifeline though sceptics will scoff with good reason.  Yet, today the 16^th of March, 2009, there is a sense of rare achievement and pride at right prevailing over wrong. 

General Musharraf will no doubt be indemnified, but if there was ever an example of absolute power corrupting absolutely, it is General Parvez Musharraf.  What a huge let down he turned out to be to those of us who were gullible enough to support him for so long. Asif Zardari might have many qualities but he is no Bhutto and has found himself virtually isolated in his unpopularity.  He has no constituency and the sympathy wave upon which he rode to power has long since evaporated largely thanks to his own doing.  PPP loyalists would like nothing better than to see the party rid of a man they feel is more of a liability than anything else. 

Contender for the title of Pakistan’s least popular person is the Governor of Punjab Mr. Salman Taseer who has just to open his mouth and utter three syllables before he successfully insults someone or the other.  Then there is Rehman Malik, Pakistan’s number one sex symbol.  Macho bravura oozing from every orifice, he is truly a man’s man: suave, sexy, cool, rugged, handsome, virile, stunningly intelligent and articulate – a walking sex-bomb.  Rehman Malik is Pakistan’s version of Jason Bourne and James Bond rolled into one.  Alas for him, he is also so deeply unpopular at the moment that if were to swagger anywhere into the public, the likelihood of his emerging with his drop-dead gorgeous image intact would be very remote indeed. 

Yesterday was a huge step in the right direction and though the government is trying to claim glory for announcing the restoration of the judiciary, the fact is the PPP’s leadership hung on grimly until the very end, hoping against hope that the Long March would go away and fizzle out but it didn’t and now we have a brand new day and a whole new perspective.  This Long March has provided a much needed message from the people of Pakistan to its leadership which warns them to honour their promises and their word or face the music regardless of which Party or individual might be in power on the day.  Wannabe dictators and usurpers are no longer going to be permitted to have their cake (Pakistan) and eat it too.  Asif Zardari, Nawaz Sharif, Imran Khan and the Taliban better take note.

While the nation rejoiced after what seems like an age, there was to be more gloom with another car bomb snuffing out more innocent lives and leaving families devastated come nightfall in Rawalpindi.  Those of us who are by now addicted to the non stop rollercoaster ride that is armchair surfing of Pakistani News channels were deeply saddened but also secretly, subliminally thankful that there was more sensation, shock and horror to keep us glued till bedtime.

Pakistan Today; the ultimate TV reality show packed with action, drama, intrigue, backstabbing, debauchery and the occasional lost hero.