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Taking U-turn on Politics
By
Riaz Missen
BENAZIR
met Nawaz Sharif amidst speculations that her party was close to making deal
with the powers-that-be in Islamabad. She met her former rival in whose
tenure cases were filed against her and her spouse. While she, after
launching failed long marches, managed to go abroad, Zardari rotted in jail
for six long years.
The two leaders have said in a joint statement that they have forgotten the
bitter memories but have declared Musharraf their common enemy. The
friendship will be sealed in May when the two leaders will meet and sign the
pact of democracy.
Ms Bhutto has been in the limelight since Musharraf’s take-over in 1999. She
welcomed the overthrow of Nawaz Sharif regime and took it as the opportunity
to have compensated for the losses to her party by Sharifs. Right before
going on self-exile she had launched long marches and gave a call to
military to step in politics so that the civilian dictatorship, as she used
to say about Nawaz Sharif Government, should come to an end.
One loud impression about the daughter of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, the
ex-Premier of Pakistan, is that she happens to be little-bit opportunist in
matters of politics. Ironically, she is not shy of justifying her conduct
and role she has played since her landslide return in Pakistan during the
Zia period. The electorate favoured her in 1988 polls but she compromised on
certain portfolios (Foreign & defence policy) and let Ishaq Khan continue
occupying the presidency — he ultimately dislodged her Government.
BB often cites about power politics and has many a time justified military
role in politics. She believes existence of mass support for her party
despite the fact that she remains out of power corridors and making
desperate appeals to the powers-that-be for her dignified return to her
homeland while General Pervez Musharraf has assured his colleagues in the
ruling camp as well as the nation that her role in country’s politics has
come to an end.
As they met in London, Benazir and Nawaz Sharif recalled the mistakes they
had committed in the past. Their struggle for democracy has to take a new
start as they renew their commitment with this entity, so much condemned by
the generals and judges of Pakistan.
What Nawaz-BB alliance will make difference is yet to be seen but the thing
that has come now stark clear is that they have not dropped their claim for
the top slot of the government. Both aspire to rule the roost with their
corrected hearts.
They have found a common cause in forcing Musharraf out of power and undo
his doings in the matter of the 1973 Constitution. Given the issues that
have dominated the Pakistani politics since decades, the outline of the
proposed agreement between the two mainstream parties is enough to prove
that they have least to offer in matter of peace and progress. If the strong
Centre has not served well for the cause of national unity, same is the case
with the matter of autonomous provinces that are too large with diverse
populations.
The regional parties, the potential allies of them in the upcoming general
elections, are demanding for a new constitution instead of the one Benazir
and Nawaz Sharif are talking about. Similarly, undoing of the devolution of
power plan and joint electorate system would prove to be an impractical
strategy as well as not-so-wise move.
As the mainstream liberal parties of the Opposition camp unite for the sake
of democracy, the religious right represented through MMA, should see its
role in politics drastically changed. Their unprecedented victory in the
2002 elections proved to be a zero-sum game for the parties led by two-time
elected Premiers of the country. The PPP-P has ruled out any chance of
electoral alliance with the Mullahs of the country.
It was the MMA that made successful bargaining with the powers-that-be, got
the slot of Opposition Leader in Parliament as well as a share in the
Balochistan Government. In exchange, it helped the Government to retain the
uniform in the presidency. Having least interest in resolving day-to-day
problems and more obsessed with the doings of America in the world, the
alliance of religious parties has only preached hatred and creates hurdles
in the functioning of the august House. One remembers the uttering of Qazi
Hussain Ahmad against General Musharraf when war on terror was directed
against the Taliban. Getting allotted itself the book as an electoral symbol
and stepping up anti-American rhetoric, the MMA was successful in getting
sizeable representation in Parliament.
The surge of MMA somewhat marginalised the role of PPP-P and the PML-N in
country’s politics. The leadership of these parties sitting abroad, the
religious alliance was free to go on its own way.
Though it constituted a friendly opposition for the PML government, the MMA
has been the greatest hurdle for transforming Pakistan from a security State
to a democratic entity. As the PPP-P and PML-N desire to unite for the cause
of democracy, the MMA’s role seems to be over.
One wonders if the Mullahs of the country will return to Mosques and
Madarssahs to show the people right path and engage in welfare activities.
They have intervened in politics due to existence of a vacuum; the
politicians did push them into streets to serve their vested interests and
evade their responsibilities vis-à-vis the people of Pakistan.●
© 2006 Riaz Missen
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