The Presidential Candidate
The process of electing a President by means of an electoral college has been shown up to be an absolutely ridiculous exercise that demeans the concept of democracy. Ten days before the actual election we do not even know the actual choice of the two major political parties, various permutations and combinations are being considered.
Of the serious candidates, only one, Ghulam Ishaq Khan, continues to remain extremely controversial. The PPP “jirga” that met him on Monday night at Anwar Saifullah’s house failed to convince him not to do a “PIF” on PPP. One does not see the PPP seriously considering his candidacy in the face of its own experience at GIK hands. However, politics brings together stranger bedfellows. PPP’s support for a GIK candidacy will be taken as a clear signal for confrontation with PML(N). Perhaps Akbar Khan Bugti from Balochistan excites somewhat similar emotions but in a much lesser degree for much different reasons, primarily that he has the potential of being an unguided missile. Even then he remains in the class of mostly honourable men who are inclined to become the President of Pakistan.
