September/08/08
Deleting the draconian accretions to the Constitution apart, President Zardari would have to ensure that all those who represent his party, including the Punjab Governor, do not indulge in uncouth and provocative language and pick a row with the PML(N), which apparently has become the target of some of them. Mian Nawaz Sharif's party has unequivocally demonstrated its majority in the Punjab Assembly during the presidential poll, and to talk of bringing it down and berating Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif are highly unbecoming. The PPP, led by President Zardari, has been proclaiming the defence of democracy and preservation of the federation as its mission. One should expect him to walk the talk and rein in those elements in the PPP's midst, who are itching to disrupt the process of democracy taking root. At the same time, PML(N) leaders must not respond to such provocative remarks; for that would once again open an ugly chapter in the two parties' relations.
Letting the federation's different units function smoothly in the spirit of the Constitution would make it possible for President Zardari to take everyone along in the uphill task of solving the people's multifarious problems. The acute economic woes have broken their back and before desperation sets in, the government would have to do something to check the inflationary pressures. An imperative of the situation is to put an end to the practice of cronyism and favouritism. People of proven merit should be roped in to set the economic house in order, and in this respect the best course would be to hold consultation with the business and industrial classes to learn how they visualise bailing out the country from the current dire straits. Widespread incidence of corruption is another potent factor that tends to defeat all good intentions of the policymakers. This corrosive malady has to be taken head-on, if the general public has to have a taste of genuine democracy. As none of these issues can wait, the President-elect must do all he can to maintain political harmony to facilitate their resolution.



This was the second ghastly act after the double suicide hit at the Pakistan Ordnance Factories, Wah, about a fortnight ago, for which the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan readily claimed responsibility. A security official believed that Saturday's attack could be a backlash of the Army's intensified campaign against militants hiding in the tribal region. That the TTP is not only hurling threats, but is actually carrying out terrorist acts, should be a cause of concern for our security establishment. Soon after the Ordnance Factory attacks, Taliban spokesman Maulvi Omar was quoted by a newspaper as warning the government that more such attacks would be made across the country if the military operations in Darra Adamkhel, Swat and Bajaur were not immediately stopped. It would not have been hard to fathom the enormity of the disaster had the bomber driving an explosive-laden vehicle succeeded in reaching the provincial assembly building which was swarmed by political workers on the occasion of the presidential poll. There is no doubt that this time around the Peshawar Police acted vigilantly. But generally security inside cities does not seem to be tight enough to make it difficult for militants to carry out terrorist acts as and when they so desire.
President Asif Zardari has identified terrorism as one of the major challenges facing the country and warned that if suicide bombers continued their activities "we will use our might to eliminate them." There is no denying the fact the government should not waver in its resolve to curb militancy, but for that its reliance should not only be on the use of force. It bears repeating to those at the helm of the democratic dispensation that in order to resolve the crisis, administrative measures should go in tandem with political means.


The current political crisis is hardly to blame, for there was not much intelligence or effort required to find out which were the trouble areas in terms of supply for Ramazan, and then concentrating on them. Flour was reasonably obvious, with the crisis ongoing and not new. Once wheat goes down, it should act on other items, which have been overpriced for Ramazan, notably edibles.
Until the Shahbaz government gets the supply part of the equation right, it cannot hope for a positive impact on prices. In fact, it should have got them right some time ago, for the impact to be felt during Ramazan. Even if it gets them right at once, the impact may not be felt, in terms of falling prices, until the holy month is towards its end, or is actually over. However, the scale of the human suffering witnessed in the beginning of Ramazan has been such that any reduction, whenever it occurs, will only be welcomed. No one expects Mian Shahbaz Sharif to do anything new, or even to improve upon past performance, but merely to repeat what he has already done.



On the domestic front, the people not yet fully reconciled with Mr Zardari's fortuitous ascent to power would have great expectations of his government. The promised vesting of real power in the office of prime minister by making him the effective chief executive, corresponding to the practice prevalent in recognised parliamentary democracies of the world, has been a most basic demand of all political parties, including the PPP. An ineffective prime minister has been one of their major grouses against former President Musharraf. Would he, then, divest himself of the authority to dismiss the parliament and exercise undemocratic power in other fields by getting rid of 58(2)(b) and the 17th amendment of the constitution? The precarious economic situation made worse by the mounting inflationary spiral, particularly of food products, and despondency in the industrial and commercial sectors because of lack of a well-directed policy is another of the public's concern giving them sleepless nights.
Going by the recent armed action by Pakistan's security forces on the anti-terror front, the United States, which is preoccupied with the thought of Al-Qaeda and Taliban sanctuaries in the tribal belt serving as a principal support behind defiance of its authority across the border, would not be unhappy at his elevation to the presidency. Notwithstanding what foreign reports about Mr Zardari's commitment to Washington on aggressively pursuing the War On Terror, the people of Pakistan sincerely hope that their elected representative would not repeat history and adopt anti-people policies à la Musharraf. Not only their sensitivities but also the supreme national interest call for negotiated rather than military solution to the problem.


The second best option is now for the PPP and PML(N) to maintain relations on the basis of the principle of peaceful co-existence wherein differences are kept within well defined limits so that they do not overturn the applecart. The parties are well within their right to criticise each other's policies without indulging in character assassination. What they need most is to respect each other's mandate and continue to maintain working relations. Both parties have demonstrated their respective strength in the Presidential elections and it is amply clear that the PPP has the requisite majority at the Centre whereas the PML(N) has the majority in the Punjab. Hence the PML(N) should do nothing to destabilize the PPP government at the Centre while it should be allowed to hold Punjab where it has emerged as the largest single party after the February elections. Attempts to remove it through wheeling dealing at the behest of the Centre would create doubts about the PPP's commitment to provincial autonomy. Similarly recourse to no confidence moves against the federal government or calls for shutter down strikes and road and rail marches have to be avoided because attempts of the sort tend to endanger the economy which is already in bad shape. What is more, they help the Establishment to keep the elected government under thumb or remove it when it suits it.
The PPP and PML(N) have signed the Charter of Democracy which strictly forbids them from conspiring with the offstage players. While they are divided over a number of issues, they have committed themselves to changes in the system to strengthen democracy in the country. The 17th Amendment has to go and 58(2)(b) struck down. They have also agreed to form an independent and powerful Election Commission and set up a number of bodies to ensure the rule of law and good governance. Unless they cooperate to bring about the agreed changes, their credibility would be at stake.



In the meanwhile, a major supply line of NATO starting from Indian Ocean's seaport of Karachi into Afghanistan via Torkham has been blocked by the government. The coalition forces should get the message: the war cannot be won without Pakistan's support. The US must also understand that attacks of the sort would do more harm than good and only damage the cause of fighting the scourge. There is no disputing military spokesman's warning that the US adventurism could provoke the tribal population into a rebellion against Islamabad. Thousands of tribesmen chanting 'Allahu Akbar' in South Waziristan bear testimony to that.
The sincerity of Pakistan in reining in terrorism should be beyond doubt as recently it has carried out a successful operation in tribal region and is making headway in establishing its writ there. Violating our national and territorial sovereignty would reverse all that.