Democracy continues to be elusive for most Pakistanis. In its 60 plus years of history, Pakistan’s periods of stability have often been interrupted by upheavals in the ruling elite. And never more so than in recent times.
It wasn’t that long ago when Asif Ali Zardari of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) joined hands with Nawaz Sharif, leader of the PML-N party, to oust President Pervez Musharraf. And the alliance succeeded with Musharraf stepping down in the face of such opposition.
Politics makes strange bedfellows indeed, but it wasn’t long before fissures in this new alliance began to surface. Just about a year ago, the two parties met in Murree and concluded an agreement, the 6-point Bhurban declaration, which spanned the formation of a coalition government for giving practical shape to the democratic mandate set by the people of Pakistan on Feb. 18, 2008, and the restoration of the judges fired by then President Musharraf along with other issues.
But as the days passed, Zardari showed no inclination to honor the recently concluded agreements. He denounced the declaration that bore his signature adding that it was merely a political act and there was nothing inviolable about it. He concluded by adding that his party had far more pressing priorities such as providing the people with roti (bread), kapda (clothing) and makaan (housing) than the restoration of judges. After intensive negotiations with the PPP in Dubai, Nawaz Sharif then declared May 12 as D-Day for the restoration of deposed judges. He also announced the establishment of a committee to propose the best constitutional method to accommodate the sitting and the restored judges at the same time.
A few hours later, the law minister, who belongs to the PPP, categorically refuted such claims by the PML-N leader. He claimed that May 12 was set as a date for the committee to submit its report and not a deadline, and that the date could be extended, if necessary. Furthermore, the purpose of the review by the committee was to decide by consensus whether the judges should be reinstated. No such consensus has been reached since.
Nawaz Sharif, a political heavyweight representing the influential province of Punjab, was left with egg on his face as the drive to restore the judges through symbolic acts of “the long march” and others just didn’t seem to ignite the public into pressuring the president to honor his commitments.
To make matters worse, in recent days, the Pakistan Supreme Court, heavily loaded with Zardari appointees, declared that neither Nawaz Sharif nor his brother Shahbaz could hold any elected post in the government, essentially sacking Shahbaz who had been the chief minister until that point. Zardari further invoked the “governor’s rule” by appointing his own man to head the political process in Punjab.
Since this verdict, the situation in Punjab has been tense, with PML-N supporters rallying against Zardari’s presidency. Charges of dictatorship have been leveled against a man who had allegedly made off with 10 percent of all deals signed by the Pakistani government when his wife Benazir Bhutto was in power. And there have been no improvements in matters of “roti, kapda and makaan” for the Pakistani people since he assumed the charge of presidency.
Instead, the illusion of democracy is fading fast in the minds of those who fervently hoped that the departure of Musharraf would finally bring peace and stability to the country. Following Benazir Bhutto’s assassination, the PPP members swimming in emotions perhaps erred in appointing her son as the leader of the party, making me wonder if there weren’t more qualified people to head the party than a 17-year-old boy with very little ties to the country.
The people then elected Benazir’s husband to lead them to what appears to be another mess. Since then, Pakistan’s sovereignty and her place on the world stage seem to be under continuous assault. The recent Mumbai bombings attributed to elements in Pakistan have not helped the country forge better relations with its neighbor India.
There are fears the present situation, if allowed to continue, may finally result in martial law being reimposed, with the army taking over the reins of power. The record of both Nawaz Sharif and Zardari in government has not been very encouraging but the masses continue to gravitate toward one or the other.
Are there no good, honest and able Pakistanis left in the country to lead them out of this never-ending mess? Perhaps it’s time Imran Khan, leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf was given a chance. He does not appear to have been tainted by corruption. Only such people can set Pakistan on the right track.
