By Amir Zia
The News
May 20, 2013
Pakistan needs a healing touch. Any actions seen as vindictive or aimed at settling old scores in the name of accountability will not just prevent the new government from focusing on the core issues, but could also drag other institutions and political forces into an unnecessary political fray
A sense of deja vu grips Pakistan's popular narrative following former premier Nawaz Sharif’s convincing electoral victory. Businesspeople and industrialists are jubilant that one from their own ranks is back in the saddle of power. They now hope for an efficient handling of the country’s economy, which took a beating and remained stuck in the low-growth and high-inflation cycle during the five-year misrule of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and its allies. In a tangible indication of the market sentiment, investors celebrated Sharif’s return by pushing the Karachi Stock Exchange 100-share index past the 20,000-point barrier.
The mood on the street, by and large, is also positive. A more mature, experienced and ‘astute’ Sharif is expected to provide better governance than his predecessors. There are hopes of lesser corruption and nepotism. The common man is desperate to believe that under Sharif and his Pakistan Muslim League there won’t be any loot and plunder of national resources. People want to cling to the hope that political position and power won’t be exploited to advance commercial and business interests, multiply the number of factories or acquire bank loans with little intentions of repayment. They want their new government to resolve the energy crisis, defeat militancy and terrorism and – yes – help create more jobs by triggering economic growth and investment.
Many of the political pundits, predicting a hung parliament, are fast changing the entire ambit of their analysis. They now appear euphoric over the prospects of a strong and stable government, which can ensure prudent policies and decision-making and address the pressing issues faced by the country on a war footing.
But haven’t we been through this similar state of déjà vu, excitement, and euphoria many times before? Whenever a new government takes charge – whether by ballot or military coup – we always start our journey with great expectations.
Remember the early months of 2008, when the PPP-led government assumed power with Asif Ali Zardari in command. Even then there was a mood of reconciliation and promises to learn from past mistakes. Zardari, with his charming smile, was wooing all the political forces – from Sharif to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s (MQM) Altaf Hussain. What happened after that is still fresh in our memory.
Similar joy and celebrations were witnessed when the army staged the bloodless coup on October 12, 1999 in response to Sharif’s attempt to oust its chief Pervez Musharraf and trying to prevent his plane from landing anywhere in Pakistan. The credibility of the Sharif government was at its lowest ebb then and people celebrated as the military entered the prime minister house, the Pakistan Television headquarters and other important places. Musharraf’s agenda for change and reforms announced in his first speech delivered in the wee hours of the morning were welcomed and greeted by an overwhelming number of Pakistanis with a sigh of relief.
And yes, when Sharif won two-thirds majority in parliament in the 1997 elections there were similar jubilations. Sharif conquered the presidency, fixed the superior courts, axed an army chief and attempted to wield all powers from his office through controversial constitutional amendments. By the time the military coup ended Sharif’s second stint in power, he had lost most of his shine and popularity.
In 1993, Benazir Bhutto also started her second brush with power on high hopes. She had ‘her man’ as the president and a solid support in the parliament. But what happened after that remains a sordid saga of poor governance, misrule and mega corruption. She was eventually stabbed by her own hand-picked president – Farooq Leghari.
Yes, keep tracing your steps backward in Pakistan’s power politics and find comparable joy to despair stories. I am not trying to be cynical or attempting to inject pessimism into Sharif’s well-deserved electoral victory celebrations. Call it ironic, but the current ecstasy reminds me of all those similar dreams and hopes that were shattered and buried soon after the leaders and the led embarked on the arduous journey in search of wonderland.
Let’s hope and pray that Sharif’s third spell as prime minister manages to change this story-line. It hasn’t been written in our stars that we remember each and every ruler and government by their mistakes instead of successes and achievements.
Sharif has been third time lucky. From complete political oblivion in the royal palaces of Saudi Arabia, he is back on centre stage. Many political floaters, who ruled him out and were in the right and left pockets of Musharraf, have rejoined him in droves or are in the process of doing so. It is not just luck or Musharraf and Zardari’s bloopers that helped Sharif return to power. He earned the top slot by playing as a responsible and mature opposition leader and acting with restraint during the last five years.
In these testing times, Sharif must continue on the same course. He must curb his instincts of taking on institutions and individuals to secure turf or strengthen his grip on power. He need not retry this route. After all, Sharif will be a powerful prime minister – courtesy constitutional amendments spearheaded by the former PPP-led government. While in opposition, Sharif has already demonstrated that he can act with responsibility. Now in power there will be a greater need to do so. Rather than competing with other institutions – especially the army – Sharif should act as a consensus-builder.
Pakistan needs a healing touch. Any actions seen as vindictive or aimed at settling old scores in the name of accountability will not just prevent the new government from focusing on the core issues, but could also drag other institutions and political forces into an unnecessary political fray and create an atmosphere of hostility. Therefore, whatever Sharif’s cheerleaders or some of the so-called moral hawks in the popular media might say, Sharif and his core team must focus on the priority issues.
These include, first and foremost, fixing the country’s battered economy, restoring investors’ confidence and triggering growth. These will require tough decisions, belt tightening and hurting powerful interest groups if the government aims to expand the tax base, slash subsidies, and reform loss-making state-run institutions. But for Sharif and his team it should be now or never.
The elected government should be seen standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the barracks on the crucial issue of the war against terrorism. Army Chief General Parvez Ashfaq Kayani has already articulated the goal and the willingness of the security forces to fight and win this conflict. The civilian leadership must not waver; they must support and own the military effort.
The fight against corruption is also vital. Pakistan must make ‘the price of corruption so high’ that it seen to be just not worth it – as is the case in many other countries of the world. But that does not mean the return of the Saif-ur Rehman type of accountability. Fighting corruption should entail not just pursuing cases in a fair and transparent manner, but also removing those flaws and loopholes in the system that allow it to take place.
The first few months are important and decisive in setting the agenda and getting the ball rolling. We must pray for Sharif’s success and hope that he lives up to the challenge. Pakistan is in no position to afford another failure of a civilian ruler. All the country needs is political stability and an honest and dedicated leadership with a sense of purpose. Sharif must rise to this challenge. Now govern – Mr Prime Minister.
The News
May 20, 2013
Pakistan needs a healing touch. Any actions seen as vindictive or aimed at settling old scores in the name of accountability will not just prevent the new government from focusing on the core issues, but could also drag other institutions and political forces into an unnecessary political fray
A sense of deja vu grips Pakistan's popular narrative following former premier Nawaz Sharif’s convincing electoral victory. Businesspeople and industrialists are jubilant that one from their own ranks is back in the saddle of power. They now hope for an efficient handling of the country’s economy, which took a beating and remained stuck in the low-growth and high-inflation cycle during the five-year misrule of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and its allies. In a tangible indication of the market sentiment, investors celebrated Sharif’s return by pushing the Karachi Stock Exchange 100-share index past the 20,000-point barrier.
The mood on the street, by and large, is also positive. A more mature, experienced and ‘astute’ Sharif is expected to provide better governance than his predecessors. There are hopes of lesser corruption and nepotism. The common man is desperate to believe that under Sharif and his Pakistan Muslim League there won’t be any loot and plunder of national resources. People want to cling to the hope that political position and power won’t be exploited to advance commercial and business interests, multiply the number of factories or acquire bank loans with little intentions of repayment. They want their new government to resolve the energy crisis, defeat militancy and terrorism and – yes – help create more jobs by triggering economic growth and investment.
Many of the political pundits, predicting a hung parliament, are fast changing the entire ambit of their analysis. They now appear euphoric over the prospects of a strong and stable government, which can ensure prudent policies and decision-making and address the pressing issues faced by the country on a war footing.
But haven’t we been through this similar state of déjà vu, excitement, and euphoria many times before? Whenever a new government takes charge – whether by ballot or military coup – we always start our journey with great expectations.
Remember the early months of 2008, when the PPP-led government assumed power with Asif Ali Zardari in command. Even then there was a mood of reconciliation and promises to learn from past mistakes. Zardari, with his charming smile, was wooing all the political forces – from Sharif to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s (MQM) Altaf Hussain. What happened after that is still fresh in our memory.
Similar joy and celebrations were witnessed when the army staged the bloodless coup on October 12, 1999 in response to Sharif’s attempt to oust its chief Pervez Musharraf and trying to prevent his plane from landing anywhere in Pakistan. The credibility of the Sharif government was at its lowest ebb then and people celebrated as the military entered the prime minister house, the Pakistan Television headquarters and other important places. Musharraf’s agenda for change and reforms announced in his first speech delivered in the wee hours of the morning were welcomed and greeted by an overwhelming number of Pakistanis with a sigh of relief.
And yes, when Sharif won two-thirds majority in parliament in the 1997 elections there were similar jubilations. Sharif conquered the presidency, fixed the superior courts, axed an army chief and attempted to wield all powers from his office through controversial constitutional amendments. By the time the military coup ended Sharif’s second stint in power, he had lost most of his shine and popularity.
In 1993, Benazir Bhutto also started her second brush with power on high hopes. She had ‘her man’ as the president and a solid support in the parliament. But what happened after that remains a sordid saga of poor governance, misrule and mega corruption. She was eventually stabbed by her own hand-picked president – Farooq Leghari.
Yes, keep tracing your steps backward in Pakistan’s power politics and find comparable joy to despair stories. I am not trying to be cynical or attempting to inject pessimism into Sharif’s well-deserved electoral victory celebrations. Call it ironic, but the current ecstasy reminds me of all those similar dreams and hopes that were shattered and buried soon after the leaders and the led embarked on the arduous journey in search of wonderland.
Let’s hope and pray that Sharif’s third spell as prime minister manages to change this story-line. It hasn’t been written in our stars that we remember each and every ruler and government by their mistakes instead of successes and achievements.
Sharif has been third time lucky. From complete political oblivion in the royal palaces of Saudi Arabia, he is back on centre stage. Many political floaters, who ruled him out and were in the right and left pockets of Musharraf, have rejoined him in droves or are in the process of doing so. It is not just luck or Musharraf and Zardari’s bloopers that helped Sharif return to power. He earned the top slot by playing as a responsible and mature opposition leader and acting with restraint during the last five years.
In these testing times, Sharif must continue on the same course. He must curb his instincts of taking on institutions and individuals to secure turf or strengthen his grip on power. He need not retry this route. After all, Sharif will be a powerful prime minister – courtesy constitutional amendments spearheaded by the former PPP-led government. While in opposition, Sharif has already demonstrated that he can act with responsibility. Now in power there will be a greater need to do so. Rather than competing with other institutions – especially the army – Sharif should act as a consensus-builder.
Pakistan needs a healing touch. Any actions seen as vindictive or aimed at settling old scores in the name of accountability will not just prevent the new government from focusing on the core issues, but could also drag other institutions and political forces into an unnecessary political fray and create an atmosphere of hostility. Therefore, whatever Sharif’s cheerleaders or some of the so-called moral hawks in the popular media might say, Sharif and his core team must focus on the priority issues.
These include, first and foremost, fixing the country’s battered economy, restoring investors’ confidence and triggering growth. These will require tough decisions, belt tightening and hurting powerful interest groups if the government aims to expand the tax base, slash subsidies, and reform loss-making state-run institutions. But for Sharif and his team it should be now or never.
The elected government should be seen standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the barracks on the crucial issue of the war against terrorism. Army Chief General Parvez Ashfaq Kayani has already articulated the goal and the willingness of the security forces to fight and win this conflict. The civilian leadership must not waver; they must support and own the military effort.
The fight against corruption is also vital. Pakistan must make ‘the price of corruption so high’ that it seen to be just not worth it – as is the case in many other countries of the world. But that does not mean the return of the Saif-ur Rehman type of accountability. Fighting corruption should entail not just pursuing cases in a fair and transparent manner, but also removing those flaws and loopholes in the system that allow it to take place.
The first few months are important and decisive in setting the agenda and getting the ball rolling. We must pray for Sharif’s success and hope that he lives up to the challenge. Pakistan is in no position to afford another failure of a civilian ruler. All the country needs is political stability and an honest and dedicated leadership with a sense of purpose. Sharif must rise to this challenge. Now govern – Mr Prime Minister.
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