A Great Day, A New Hope for Pakistan

As our parliamentarians take oath and swear allegiance to the constitution today, one can feel happy about Pakistan. February’s general elections, despite the rigging in many places, have brought new hope to millions of Pakistanis. We have shown the world that we can vote sensibly and Pakistan is in no danger of breaking up or slipping into the hands of militants of any variety.

We have voted out people who did not deserve to be in power in the first place. Many had been put there on the understanding that they enjoyed the support of the “silent majority.” One always wondered about the silent majority. Now we have those who represent the votes of the people. However, despite this achievement, much needs to be done for democracy to move ahead in Pakistan.

Politicians will be politicians. But it is up to the leaders to set the example. Mian Nawaz Sharif need to take to task one of his party’s MNAs, Sardar Tumman from Chakwal, who has been forcibly occupying two family suites in the Parliamentary Lodges in Islamabad. Last week, Sardar Tumman’s guards attacked PPP MNA Saeed Kazmi who went to claim possession of one of the suites which had been allotted to him. Kazmi was shaken by the brutal show of force and manner in which he was attacked and threatened. But so far Mian Nawaz Sharif has been unmoved. This silence does not auger well. Are we seeing another law minister in the making?

Another person who needs to be taken to task is Khawaja Asif, known for his shouting matches when in parliament. It seems the Sharifs have once again set him loose. Asif said on a TV program that Makhdoom Amin “cannot be trusted because he has contacts with President Musharraf.” This was then backed up by similar statements by other PML-N leaders. Again, this does not auger well for the future. A man of the stature of Makhdoom Amin Fahim being ridiculed in public is not a good omen. The silence of the PPP on this statement is also not a positive sign. The whole episode of not inviting Makhdoom Amin Fahim to Muree seems to be bordering on the ridiculous.

Now we are told that Senator Raza Rabbani was given the task of “inviting” Makhdoom Amin Fahim to Muree and that he was “sorry” he could not deliver the message. Amidst the confusion, Sindh CM designate Qaim Ali Shah made the helpful statement that the PPP was “solid as a rock” and that it would not split. All these statements and actions create confusion.

Despite the goodwill created by the PPP and the PML-N, we should also be worried about the future of democracy in Pakistan. For one, not everyone applauds the Murree declaration. The PPP has now committed to the reinstatement of the deposed judges who were removed at the time of imposition of emergency. Till now, there was much dilly dallying. This commitment has far reaching implications.

For one, if by these judges are, in fact, reinstated, it may mean a difficult relationship with President Musharraf. And that would mean more political uncertainty in the country. The PML-N has also talked about a possible impeachment of the president. For both reinstatement of judges and impeachment proceedings, law wizard Malik Qayyum insists that there should be a two thirds majority.

The possible decision of President Musharraf to step down is being seen with worry by western leaders. They want the president to stay on and to fight the war on terror. There are fears that with the possible exit of the president, the focus of the war on terror will shift and the political government would look at more pressing problems. Needless to say, Pakistan’s most pressing problem today is its power crisis and the rising cost of fuel on the back of soaring international prices. Mian Nawaz Sharif and Asif Zardari have taken a decision in principle to visit Saudi Arabia soon so as to talk to the king about a possible petroleum concession. These are short term solutions to long term problems. How long will the Saudi King solve problems that are ours?

Fuel crisis fear looms in the coming months as oil marketing companies have informed the government of their inability to book imports due to financial constraints caused by non-payment of the Price Differential Claim that is owed to them. The finances are boggling. We are told that the PPP does not have anyone with the credentials of becoming the country’s next finance minister and this mantle will go to Ishaq Dar, who has served in this capacity earlier as well. Irrespective of who will be the next finance minister, the finances for the coming year will be challenging. The government is spending more than it should. Despite repeated warnings from the State Bank, the fundamentals of the economy are worsening. Belt tightening is being left to the new government.

Coming back to the present, we saw this week the quick and clean withdrawal of all corruption cases against PPP Chairman Asif Ali Zardari. This comes as no surprise but also indicates that the Musharraf government and Zardari are working towards some sort of understanding which should hold them in good stead in the coming months, if not years. One wonders where the PML-N fares in this equation.

To be fair to Zardari, the cases seem to be evaporating in thin air. One can only laugh at the manner these cases have been withdrawn. They once again tell us the hollowness of the system that builds one accountability body or another but at the same time is willing to let go of it all when agreements are reached. And at the end of the day, people are released not because they are guilty or innocent but because they have made a deal. This is cheating the people of Pakistan.

Maybe we should take the advice of Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan and start with a clean slate. President Musharraf has vowed he will not dismiss the parliament. But Mian Nawaz Sharif has at the same time assured Asif Zardari of support to “foil plots if the PPP faces cracks from within or outside forces conspire to break it.” Who to believe, which side to trust?

Possibly one needs to focus more on the people who are intent on breaking Pakistan. The suicide blasts in Lahore this week only tell us that certain forces in the country want democracy to fail. At the same time, the US and its allies are tightening the screws on the militants. We are victims of the fallout of this. In all this, we can only hope and pray. We also need to ask the incoming government what its stand is on the war on terror. At the same time, its about time we recovered our Ambassador to Afghanistan, who was kidnapped a month back in the tribal areas. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Email: kamal.siddiqi@thenews.com.pk