New challenges and our democracy
 

[B][SIZE="4"]New challenges and our democracy
[/SIZE][/B][B]By Yasser Latif Hamdani
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[I]What does the nation expect of our newly elected rulers? The long and short of it is that the parties must abide by their manifestoes.
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The nation has chosen experience over exuberance, but exuberance has gotten its fair share as well. Regardless of the various controversies, Pakistan has emerged out of May 11 elections a stronger democracy. Now we come to the real issues of governance and of tall claims ushering in an era of progress, which both of the major winners i.e. Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) claim they will.

What does the nation expect of our newly elected rulers? The long and short of it is that the parties must abide by their manifestoes. The mandate that Prime Minister-elect Nawaz Sharif has received is simple enough: the people want an end to perpetual economic and social crises. This means ending first and foremost the power crisis. Easier said than done with the deep structural issues that Pakistan face but this is where experience is needed the most. Mr Sharif’s mandate also entails coming up with a budget that can set Pakistan onto a path of economic growth.

Good news is that Mr Ishaq Dar, our incoming finance minister, has already been working on a budget for the last few months. This shows a certain commitment and dedication that must be appreciated. A country of 180 million with a large middle class in the era of globalisation can be a major economic hub. However to do this, Mr Sharif will have to make hard choices. Peace with India and regional engagement will be key in an economic turnaround for Pakistan. What the Prime Minister-elect must also realise that the soft underbelly for Pakistan and its economy is and will always be religious extremism, especially when religious extremism is aimed at persecution of minorities and dissenting points of view. A conservative government need not make Pakistan a medievalist dystopia. Had Pakistanis who voted for PML-N truly desired a medievalist dystopia, they would have given majorities to Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) and Jamiat-e-Ulema-Islam-Fazl instead. The religious parties have been trounced in popular vote. Mr Sharif should guarantee — as per the manifesto of his party — full security, protection and equality to all Pakistanis regardless of their religion, ethnicity or gender.

If anyone can withstand the tide of religious extremism, it is Mr Sharif but he must take immediate steps to allay fears of religious and sectarian minorities about the various unsavory and sectarian characters which have been elected on a PML-N platform. There should be no attempt to do it alone by the PML-N. In a divided and fractured society real democracy lies in consensus building. In this the PML-N would do well to read up on the aftermath of 1937 elections, when the Congress having scored a complete victory through Hindu majority vote decided to snub its allies in the UP such as the All India Muslim League. The PML-N in all possible ways represents the religious and ethnic majorities in Pakistan. It is a Punjabi-dominated party led by Punjabi Sunni Muslims, which is the dominant cultural group in Pakistan. This places an enormous responsibility on their shoulders i.e. to balance the requirements over their constituents against the legitimate demands and aspirations of smaller ethnicities, provinces, sectarian and religious minorities. As the representative of the majority in Pakistan, the PML-N should take all minority points of view along. One cannot emphasise enough that this is necessary because the only way we can end these angularities of the majority and the minority communities is by achieving national compact based on justice, equity and fair play. We need a national narrative and the primary responsibility for this narrative lies with the dominant force in the country.

The most exciting part of the election result was the PTI’s formidable showing in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The decimation of Awami National Party (ANP) has been blamed on the Taliban threat. While that may have played some role marginally, the real reason the ANP was booted out was its utter failure in terms of governance and performance. Add to this the massive corruption that the ANP was accused of, leading to the hilarious common refrain ‘Baba ta easy load waka’. The PTI’s overwhelming victory in the KP is genuine desire on part of the residents of that province to make their lives better. It was the common man in the KP who rejected the ANP through the ballot, not the Taliban. This also means that the PTI should not take for granted that it will be re-elected just because the ANP has seemingly evaporated into thin air.

If the PTI wants to bid for power at the centre in the future, it must ensure that it delivers on its manifesto in KP and that it does not allow the government in KP to be hijacked by its ambitious ally, the JI. Thankfully, the PTI decided not to give the education ministry to JI but that does not mean that the latter will not try and undermine the former at every nook and corner. JI, a master of back door entries, is going to try and take over the PTI. Its agenda behind asking for education ministry was a very sinister one. The JI seeks to perpetuate its narrow ideology by reaching out and controlling young minds in order to pave the way for the future. While the PTI has no choice but to take the JI along in the coalition government, the PTI stalwarts in the KP should always be wary of the ally’s agenda and must always guard against being used to forward this agenda. The key test is going to be how far the PTI is going to be able to implement its well thought out education and gender policies in the province, while also respecting the general conservative ethos of the people of the province. My view is that the average Pashtun is eminently reasonable and pragmatic and so long as nothing off base is attempted, he will go along with all attempts to better the lot of the people of the province.

Finally a note to the PTI supporters: it is true that one expected the PTI’s final tally at the centre at about 10 seats short of what was expected but a PML-N government was always on the cards. The PTI has done extraordinarily in winning one province and ending up with the second largest popular vote. This is no mean achievement and the PTI must savour what is in the balance an extraordinary triumph for its leadership and its cadres. Now give the constitutional process a chance.

[I]The writer is a lawyer based in Lahore and the author of the book Jinnah: Myth and Reality. He can be contacted via twitter[/I] @therealylh a[I]nd through his email address[/I] [email]yasser.hamdani@gmail.com[/email]

[url]http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2013\05\20\story_20-5-2013_pg3_4[/url]