Pakistan's Horoscope
What do stars foretell ...?

By A Radhika

India and Pakistan attained freedom from the British at the same time. The sub-continent was portioned owing to a number of factors that ranged from religious leanings to the personal ambitions of Md. Ali Jinnah, who went on to become the Sadar-e-Riyasat of Pakistan. Many people felt that partition could well have been avoided had the Mahatma, Jawaharlal Nehru and their colleagues acted in 'a more magnanimous manner' and with 'understanding'. But no that was not to happen, because that was not the destiny awaiting India and Pakistan.

The inevitable had to happen and it did happen leaving many a scar in the hearts of millions of Indians who had to forcibly migrate from Pakistan during that period and in the process suffered the worst humiliations which even today are nightmarish experiences to recall to the victims. This caused a sense of bitterness in the hearts and minds of millions of Indians, and contributed no less to misunderstanding between the two countries ever since and which is fairly evident whenever the two meet even on a cricket maidan.

India and Pakistan began their independent tryst with democracy at the same time. We became republics. But while India has been able to withstand it's the ups and lows, and has allowed democracy to function despite the sobriquet of functioning anarchy. The only period of disquiet was the short period of emergency, when India came close to one-person rule.

Pakistan has never been able to overcome the charms that monarchs have. Therefore, time and again Pakistan has been rocked by coups and the military has taken over the reins of Pakistan, like it happened when Gen. Parvez Musharraf over threw a discredited Nawaz Sharief Government. It was not the first time and may be, as the stars tell, may not be the last time either when an army man will wear the chief executive's that along with his own...

It is natural to wonder why two countries, which took birth at the same time and which share the same Harappa- Mohenjdaro legacy have gone their different ways. Is it because the people of these two people of the countries think differently or have different views to a problem or does the malady lies somewhere else.

We, astrologers have a totally different view of the things happening around us. We look them through the astrological charts. Therefore, to understand the difference between India and Pakistan, vis-a-vis, democracy, let's analyse their horoscopes.

Ever since independence, Pakistan has mostly remained in military rule. Democracy has played very little role in that country. In the past five decades martial law has been imposed many times, officially and unofficially to stifle dissent and to ordain a tailored democracy.

Look at Pakistan's horoscope: Aries is the lagna, lagna lord, Mars, is in the third house with 4th lord, Moon. Second house is placed with Rahu. Fourth house has Mercury, Saturn, Venus and Sun; Seventh house is placed with Jupiter and the eighth house is placed with Ketu. Mercury is 3rd and 6th lord is in Mrityubhag. Mars is aspecting the 10th house, and the other planets aspecting 10th house are Saturn, Venus, Mercury, and Sun.

Concentrating on Pakistan's political turbulence, let us analyse the 10th house, 10th lord, in Birth Chart, Navamsha and Dashmansha. Zero in on the influence of planets on the 10th house in all three charts. Mars is the karaka for para military forces.

In early months 1953, Martial Law was imposed by Governor General Malik Ghulam Mohd who sacked Prime Minister Khawaja Nazimuddhin. Dasha Running at that time was Jupiter/Saturn upto August 1953. Jupiter is 9th and 12th lord, being aspected by none. Saturn, the antar dasha lord and is also the 10th lord is aspecting 10th house of the Kundali and also in Navamsha. Saturn is combust in the horoscope, is in Nakshatra of Mercury. In Dashmansha, Saturn is aspecting Jupiter, the mahadasha lord, which is placed in 8th house, with Mercury.

In transit, Saturn was in Kanya till 23rd, then transitted to Libra, in the 7th house of Pakistan, aspecting natal 10th lord Saturn, and other planets placed in their. Jupiter was in Taurus. Transit Saturn is transitting over natal Jupiter. But as the incidents took place in the early months of 1953, transit Jupiter was also aspecting transit Saturn when it was in Virgo. Mars transitted from Cancer to Virgo.

In 1958, Martial Law was imposed again, this time by President Iskandar Mirza, on October 7th. Twenty days later, on October 27, 1958, the Supreme Court upheld the imposition but President Iskandar was forced at gun point to step aside and hand over all power to General Ayub Khan. Dasha running was Jupiter/Venus/Mars from August 31st 1958 to 27th October 1958. Jupiter's Mahadasha is explained earlier also. The Antar Dasha Venus is aspecting 10th house in both Navamsha and Dashamansha.

Influence of Venus in very well seen in all the 3 vargas. Venus is also in the constellation of Mercury. Venus is placed in the 12th house of Dashmansha Mars the Pratyantar dasha lord is aspecting in the 3 vargas. Mars is karaka for para military forces. Mars is in the nakshatra of Rahu. But as the Rahu's pratyantar dasha came on Oct 27, Martial Law was upheld. In Dashmansha, although, Rahu and Mars are mutually aspecting, Rahu's pratyantar dasha, brought relief to Pakistan.

In transit, Saturn was in Scorpio transitting over natal Ketu and aspecting 10th house, Jupiter was in Tula transitting over Jupiter and aspecting natal Mars. Mars was retrograde in Taurus, Mars are mutually aspecting.

Pakistan attacked India on September 6, 1965. It was a short, 17-day war, fought mostly on the western front, the eastern side was not in the picture, it was largely left undefended in the only a Pakistan ruler could do. Dasha running was Saturn/Saturn/Mercury. In transit, Saturn was transitting over Aquarius and was also retrograde, aspecting lagna and 8th house. Jupiter was in Gemini transitting over natal Moon and Mars. Jupiter was aspecting Saturn. Moon was in Sagittarius, and Mars was in Tula, over natal Jupiter.

On March 25, 1969 Field Marshal Ayub Khan violated his own constitution, and imposed Martial Law and handed over power to his Commander-in-Chief (of the army), General Agha Mohammad Yahya Khan. Dasha running was Saturn/Mercury/Moon. Saturn is 10th and 11th lord, aspecting 10th house, Mercury, also aspecting 10th house in Kundali. Saturn and Mercury are together placed in 4th house, Saturn is aspecting Mercury in both Navamsha and Dashmansha.

In transit, Saturn was in Pisces/Aries, aspecting, natal Jupiter, Mars and 10th house of birth horoscope. Jupiter was transitting on Virgo, also aspecting 10th house, and Mars on 8th house, over natal Ketu. Mutually aspecting each other.

The two countries fought their third war in December 1971. Pakistan army surrendered in Dhaka, which became the independent capital of an Independent Bangladesh. Four days after the surrender, on December 20, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto took over as President and Chief Martial Administrator of truncated country.

The Dasha running was Saturn/Venus/Venus. Saturn and Venus are aspecting 10th house, both in Birth horoscope and Navamsha. In Dashmansha, both are in 2/12 relations. In January 1977, Bhutto announced mid-term polls and nine opposition parties formed Pakistan National Alliance to contest elections. People's Party of Pakistan (PPP) won 435 out of 460 seats at stake. Bhutto became the hate symbol. Unrest unfolded in the streets of Lahore and Karachi.

Bhutto Government was accused of massive rigging in the elections, demand for his resignation and calls for fresh elections reached a crescendo. On the 21st of April 1977, Martial Law imposed in Karachi, Hyderabad and Lahore. Dasha running was Saturn/Moon/Venus. Here the antar dasha lord Moon is associated with Mars. Saturn's and Venus role are already been explained.

On July 5, General Ziaul Haq stepped out of the barracks goaded by the Saturn/Mars/Marsdasha, which started just a day earlier. The inevitable followed. On September 3, 1977, Bhutto was arrested on charges of murdering Nawab Mohammad Ahmad Khan Qasuri. Like his later day successor, Pervez, Zia did not declare himself as the President straight away. He waited for his opportunity and it came in 1978. A few months later on April 4, 1979, Zia got rid of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, probably not to leave a trace of once charismatic person. And the dasha was of Saturn/Rahu/Rahu. Rahu had played a very vital and intriguing role in the history of Pakistan, first in 1958 in the case of President of Mirza and then in 1977 in the case of Bhutto.

In transit, Saturn was in Cancer over natal Saturn aspecting 10th house, Jupiter was in Taurus, Mars had transitted to Pisces on 21st April.

General Zia ran his 'legitimate' military rule. In early 1985, he anointed Mohammed Khan Junejo as the civilian Prime Minister under Martial Law in force. The marshal law was lifted the same year, on December 31, to be precise. Junejo's was brief interlude in the checkered history of Pakistan. He was sacked in 1988, Prime Minister Mohammad Khan Junejo was sacked. On 3rd June Nawaz Sharif was appointed the Chief Minister of Punjab. General Ziaul Haq died in the plane crash two monts later on August 17. Elections held in November that year brought Benazir Bhutto to front as the prime minister at the head of PPP founded by her father.

In transit on Dec 31, 1985, Saturn was in Scorpio over natal Ketu and aspecting Jupiter which is transitting over 10th house. Mars in Tula.

The dasha of Mercury/Jupiter in 1966 (February 17 to be precise) brought in Nawaz Sharif as the Prime Minister. Jupiter is placed in 8th house of Navamsha and Dashmansha.

Now about the Musharraf coup. The General staged his coup on October 12, 1999. The hour when he struck was 18:10 Hrs. It was in the dasha of Mercury/Saturn/Sun/Jupiter. All the planets in the Birth horoscope are aspecting 10th house. Planetary position on this day was Jupiter and Saturn was in Aries. Moon and Mercury was in 7th house over natal Jupiter and Jupiter's Sookshma dasha was running. The degrees of Moon is 29:35 degrees which is about to transit to 8th house over Ketu, Mars is in the 9th house, aspecting Mercury, Saturn and Sun in the 4th house. Transit Saturn in Aries is aspecting 10th house and Transit Jupiter is aspecting the Transit Mars. Mars is aspecting the 3rd house. Transit Jupiter and Saturn are aspecting 7th house, where the natal Jupiter is placed Transit Mars and natal Mars are mutually aspecting.

We have analysed in the proceeding paragraphs, the imposition of martial law in Pakistan tracing the history and finding out astrologically, why these results took place in doing so. We have mainly stressed on the role of dasha ad antar dasha lords but a curious fact which emerges out is that planet of ethics, Jupiter is relegated to 8th house in Navamsha and Dashmansha. It is possible Jupiter's adverse placement has resulted in loss of ethical democracy in Pakistan and the first coup tookm place in Jupiter's period only.

(Syndicate Features)

Rise of MMA in Pakistan

By Khan Abdul Wadood Khan

Pakistan’s new unfolding democracy, driven by a split mandate and spearheaded by an unprecedented victory for Islamic fundamentalists, indeed has become the beginning of new predicament. The results of the general elections held on October 10 are surprising as well as a disconcerting to Pakistanis who wish to see a liberal, secular, modern and developed Pakistan emerge in the future.

While in the past, the clergy in Pakistan forced General Zia’s army to take over the reigns of the country as there was no other way that their extremist ideology could become the law of the land, today they have become the law makers and have an important say in framing the law on account of their large presence in the NWFP and Balochistan Assemblies as well as in the National Assembly. The Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA), a pro-Taliban conglomerate of six fundamentalist groups, has won majority in two most sensitive provinces bordering Afghanistan, which have served as the recruiting and training grounds for Islamic militants, including AI Qaida and the Talibans. The unprecedented victory of this grand alliance of the religious parties owes itself to a number of factors, the unparalleled unity among their various denominations being one of these. Others include Musharraf Government’s sudden volt-face with respect to Pakistan’s Afghanistan policy, his promise to the United States Government to use the Pakistani ground and air base for facilitating the conduct of hostile operations against the Taliban, the presence of the personnel of US air force and FBI on the Pakistani soil, including the freehand given to the latter to operate both in the tribal areas and settled regions in the country in order to hunt for the alleged remnants of Osama bin Laden’s AI Qaida organization.

MMA also benefited from the space created by the suppression of the major political parties. The MMA has, throughout General Musharrafs tenure, found it easier than the PPP or the PML(N) to get permission to hold rallies and public demonstration of strength. For example, secular politicians were barred from contesting the elections if they did not have Bachelor’s degrees while Mullahs were only required to have degrees from religious schools. Writing in the Wall Street Journal, eminent Pakistani journalist Ahmed Rashid commented "it appears that the army and the ISI sponsored the religious leaders, or Mullahs, to ensure that the West does not question the need for continued military rule to contain the religious parties."

But whatever the various causes of the MMA’s emergence as a potent political force, the immediate concern relates to how it will react to certain policies put in place by the Musharraf regime. The MMA is opposed to the military rule, the National Security Council General Musharraf's legal framework order and so on. MMA would insist on the restoration of 1973 constitution, the absolute sovereignty of Parliament with no institution or individual having superiority over it and the introduction of true Islamic Shariah in the country. It would also like US to withdraw from air force, bases in Pakistan.

While intellectuals are advising MMA leaders to follow a moderate path, the MMA leaders have vowed to establish a strict Islamic system reversing General Musharraf s so-called reforms. The MMA has announced that it would seek ban on co-education. Addressing a gathering of the women’s wing of the Jamaat-e-Islami at Peshawar, the MMA Vice-President and Chief of Jamaat-e-Islami said that the Alliance would set up separate universities for women. He said women should not be forced to wear the burqa but at the same time maintained that they should follow the Islamic Shariah laws. He claimed that massive participation in the rallies was a proof that both men and women want Islam in this country. The convention was clearly intended to send out a message to the outside world as to what the Alliance in general and his party in particular stood for on "Islamization" of the Pakistani society.

Pakistanis are confused as there has been no consensus over the formation of a new Government more than 15 days after elections produced a "hung" Parliament. An attempt by the pro-military Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid-i-Azam), which is the single largest group in the newly elected National Assembly, to link with Islamic groups hit a snag with hardliners raised the stakes, demanding the post of the Prime Minister.

In an interview with the Friday Times, Maulana Fazlur Rahman Amir, Jamait -e-UIema-e-Islam and Central leader of MMA said that his party would seek the constitution’s help to improve the Islamic system in Pakistan. And Chief of MMA Maulana Shah Ahmed Noorani went a step further by saying that "provincial Governments have full powers to legislate according to the constitution for the betterment of their people". Jamaat-e-Islami party head Qazi Hussain has already called for the US troops in Afghanistan to withdraw. The MMA distributed leaflets in the election campaign sympathising with the Taliban and AI Qaida.

There is thus utter confusion in Pakistan as to what is going to take place in future. There are contradicting statements from the religious alliance (MMA). While meeting some, senior diplomats of various countries in Islamabad on October 23, these leaders said that they would abide by the international agreements and would not object to proposed Iran-India gas pipeline but in NWFP and Balochistan, the MMA has got majority and is planning to implement Taliban’s agenda. Writing in The News, columnist Jameelur Rahman said that the MMAwould force the women to maintain strict "pardah" and co-education would be abolished. The cable and other electronic media may be banned. The people associated with this business are worried and confused. Most of the observers are of the opinion that the MMA in NWFP and Balochistan will have no time to look into the matters like unemployment education and health etc. Their main thrust will be on promoting rituals.

A retired chief of the army staff General Aslam Beg has said in an article that the rise of the MMA is due to the anti-US feelings. According to his assessment most probably there will be a coalition Government in Centre consisting of the King’s party and PPPP. Some minor parties and independent candidates may also join. If this is done, it will satisfy America. Otherwise situation may take an ugly turn. Aslam Beg has also pointed out that it was not a wise decision to ban Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif from taking part in election process.

US State Department spokesman Richard Boucher also agrees that Musharraf made a critical mistake by debaning them. In an interview with BBC, Akbar S.Ahmed, a former Pakistan Ambassador to UK and presently teaching in an American University in Washington said " development could spell trouble for US adding that "an earthquake has taken place in Pakistan for what is happening there is going to have an impact in the entire region." NWFP is an important province because of its borders with Afghanistan. It is the breeding ground for Taliban. Mr Ahmed's analysis have been supported by Georgetown University Professor Berger who said that Musharraf faces trouble ahead from the newly empowered coalition - "the coalition hardliners are going to emerge as partners in any condition that is going to undermine ability to maintain support for US." Former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto whose party came second in the elections behind PML (Q) is of the view that the "Central Government will cooperate with the US but the Provincial Governments in Balochistan and NWFP will not cooperate with the US and I think that the US will find itself increasingly frustrated in its operation on Afghanistan's tribal area which border with Pakistan. And as the American gets frustrated, General Musharraf will say, that see, I told you need a dictatorship, you don't really need a democracy."

The rise of MMA would further strengthen the grip of General Musharraf over the sinews of power in Pakistan. He is going to blackmail U.S.A. by asking for more money and machines in the name of neutralising the threat posed by the MMA. But the Americans should note that the flushing out of the remnants of the Taliban and Al Qaida from NWFP and Balochistan could become difficult if the MMA was allowed to occupy the seat of power.