National government? Don’t cry for Pakistan, Ms Benazir
Former PM Benazir Bhutto has asked that a national government composed of (or is it on the advice of?) the major political groupings, armed forces, bureaucrats, judiciary, intelligence agencies etc be formed “to save the country”. Despite opposition from her own political allies at this rather heretical and astonishing suggestion by a so-called “democrat”, she reiterated her demand the following day. Among the reasons she cited was the “Sartaj Aziz Strangulation Budget” and the adverse state of the economy, conveniently forgetting that we are in the state we are because of the despotic, corrupt rule of her husband as de facto PM. She remains predictable, every time she loses an election, she calls it a farce due to massive “rigging”, every time she finds that these charges do not find sympathy in the intelligentsia and/or reaction in the streets, she falls back to demanding a “national government”.
Ms Benazir and her husband left the country they ruled as virtual monarchs in shambles, the right royal loot and pillage being unprecedented in this region, if not in the third world. In dismissing her and forming a Caretaker “national government” pending elections, President Leghari cited a number of reasons where she ran afoul of the Constitution, among them cases of nepotism, corruption, illegal telephone tapping etc, almost all were upheld by the Supreme Court of Pakistan in turning down her plea for reinstatement of her government. In the elections that were subsequently held, her own supporters had grievance enough with her to stay at home rather than vote. This overwhelming disenchantment (and absenteeism thereof) converted the anticipated Mian Nawaz Sharif victory (of which he was robbed due to “computer rigging” post-midnight in 1993) into a virtual rout. Mian Nawaz Sharif marginally increased his vote bank, the failure of PPP voters to turn up resulted in a lop-sided landslide for him in terms of Assembly votes. While Mian Nawaz Sharif won a great triumph, the overwhelming “mandate” is not a computation of actual votes cast but a reflection of the imperfect democracy that allows anyone “first past the post” to win an Assembly seat. In the euphoria of their victory, there must be a cold, calculated analysis by PML(N) inner core and analysts of this aspect.
We are nowhere near the stage where a “national government” is needed or should even begin to be talked about. Mian Nawaz Sharif inherited a nation in absolute social turmoil, almost in economic apocalypse and in political disarray in unfavourable geo-political circumstances. Despite these and many other limitations (his sincerity and patriotism as opposed to that of his principal opponent not being among them), he has set about his task with gusto and with a lot of confidence in his own ability and that of his colleagues to solve the country’s problems. While he is no superman, he has his priorities right, the first priority being the economy, his Finance Minister Senator Sartaj Aziz has produced an outstanding budget that not only levies no new taxes but is incentive-oriented for businessmen and industrialists to respond. The conceptually tax-free budget left the Opposition immediately speechless, recovering her voice Mr Benazir let loose a few cheap shots without substance, or for that matter imagination. Despite being a political animal, with two stints as PM, she reverts periodically to being her true self, a shrill housewife having constant contention with her neighbours.
It would be a mistake to dismiss Ms Benazir’s diatribes outright, if the public perception about the gradual slipping of the image of the regime persists, a “national government” could become a distinct possibility in the distant future if mistakes of omission and commission are not rectified. The timing will be synonymous with the results of the supply-sided economic initiatives launched by the Federal Budget. Some of the criticism of the government is understandably motivated. For example Senator Saifur Rahman is getting a lot of flak from Ms Benazir because of his accountability drive. Let’s face it, while one has reservations about public media-oriented accountability but the man has had excellent success. The fact that he got crooks like Nasir Schon, Sadruddin Ghanchi, Nayyar Bari, etc to agree to part with their ill-gotten gains and return it to the national exchequer (around Rs.5 billion to-date) is credit-worthy. Instead of going after bureaucrats per se, resulting in an unofficial pen-down strike, the Senator should perhaps have kept the process confidential till he had achieved results as he did in the case of Schon and party. The trials usually does have a downside, in this case a backlash of sorts which could have been avoided as it tends to hurt the image of the government. However, Saif is dogged in nature and is in an on-the-job “learning curve” in an area previously bereft of success, can anyone tell me who has ever returned public money in the last 50 years in the manner he has managed to make people comply in three months or so? More power to him, the proof of the pudding is in the eating! One may add a footnote, regarding the rumours that Senator Saifur Rahman’s brother, Redco’s Mujib, was in Seattle to talk about a possible Boeing consultancy, that is an outright and blatant lie which I personally confirmed from a close friend, very senior in the Boeing hierarchy (and got it counter-checked from other sources). He said that if such a request is made, because of the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the Boeing team will go home sans contract.
A friend of mine in PIA confirmed that since this government has taken over there have been no requests for upgrading, free tickets, permission for extra weight, postings/promotions of airline personnel (particularly air-hostesses) etc, which was the daily norm during the PPP regime. The same is the case in almost all the government, semi-government and autonomous corporations, requests for favours have dwindled down to a virtual minimum, thereby giving credence to the government’s stated campaign against nepotism and corruption. However, one must guard against the fact that public perception may well take one exception and make it the rule, the government has to be very, very careful about it. For example, the appointment of pilot Capt. Humayun Jameel, supposedly on the instructions of first brother Shahbaz Sharif, as Director Administration PIA was unwarranted. What is the difference then between PML(N) and Asif Zardari appointing Flight Engineer Jamote as Director Administration. PIA’s Chairman Shahid Khakan Abbasi is one of the outstanding young MNAs in the PML(N), the general consensus is that Shahid will do well, he has a mature head on his young shoulders and has carried himself with dignity in his capacity as Chief Executive. But who in the world advised him to appoint Haider Jalal, a person with a notorious reputation as Director Marketing, a post in which the appointee must be clearly seen to be above board? One major blunder can undo a whole series of right decisions. Of special concern to the intelligentsia are some provisions of the Ehtesab Act, particularly that pertaining to omitting the period before 1990, and the proposed Defection Bill, which seems to give draconian extra-constitutional powers to the party leaders in violation of the basic norms of democracy which has each elected representative answerable to his conscience first as regards his responsibility to the nation and then to the electorate. As regards the recently concluded Indo-Pak talks and the Indian Secretary Salman Haider repudiating the fact of discussing the disputed territory of Jammu and Kashmir soon after reaching home, let’s face it, what do we really expect from the Indians except perfidy and duplicity of this kind. With a straight face, the Indian delegation also denied the blatant intrusion of an Indian MIG-25R into Pakistani airspace. However, we have no choice but to keep on talking otherwise India would soon have us diplomatically isolated as a “war-mongering terrorist nation” in the present world era of “peace and harmony”.
The Mian Nawaz Sharif government may not have come upto our full expectations, maybe we placed these expectations on too high a pedestal, certainly they inherited a terrible situation. However, by and large the government is functioning well within the limitations imposed upon it by an economy destroyed by the likes of Benazir and Zardari. There is no present cause to ask for “national government”, we must let the Mian Nawaz Sharif regime get on with his mandate. For a person who calls herself “democratic” to talk about calling in the Armed Forces, the intelligence agencies, the bureaucracy, the judiciary etc into such a set-up even while she is decrying the late Gen Ziaul Haq, is bordering on the ludicrous, if not being outright ridiculous. Which forces is she trying to egg on? To give ideas to? Or is she upto her old trick of attempting to create suspicion within the different sectors of the administration with the political government? One well remembers how she separated Ghulam Ishaq Khan from Mian Nawaz Sharif in 1993 by talking to them both, got Moin Qureshi in as a Caretaker to get herself elected and then got rid of all three once each had fulfilled a purpose. By asking for a “national government”, she is floating a red herring, hoping someone foolish somewhere will bite. Unfortunately, she has cried “wolf” once too often, she should go back to crying for Asif more.
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