Reaping the whirlwind

Miree taamir main muzmir hai ik surat kharabi ki

- Ghalib

Inside my making, lie the seeds of my destruction.

The February 18 elections have not brought a clean break with a cheerless past.

The Musharraf-PPP leadership deal queered the pitch. The faltering military ruler bargained with the leading political party a new lease of life, for himself. After a protracted series of meetings in Dubai and other places, the party leaders managed to forge a deal which included the promulgation of a special law freeing them from dozens of cases hanging fire against them. Cases mostly relating to corruption and gross misuse of authority.

The so-called NRO - National Reconciliation Ordinance - is something quite extraordinary. How could court cases, so many of them, be withdrawn with just one stroke, erasing sensational fact-sheets about prize properties abroad and references to shady deals? It did happen. Washington played the questionable role of a midwife. A remarkable exercise in deceitful diplomacy indeed!

A charitable view of what Benazir did to clinch the deal is that she resorted to this dubious transaction to ensure her return to Pakistan and to the revival of her party's fortunes. Once back in Pakistan, with no noose hanging over her and her husband, heads a path be created which would lead to power. The general then would also be taken care of and eased out in due course. Benazir got a tumultuous reception in Karachi. Unfortunately, it was marred by a bomb blast. Later, on December 27, on the eve of the scheduled elections, she was killed after she had addressed a large public meeting in the Garrison City of Rawalpindi. The tragic incident pulled her spouse - kept out of active politics by her - back to Pakistan. Zardari lost no time in claiming the leadership of the party, assumed the office of co-chairman making his son the chairman. The son is presently studying in UK.

The party won a resounding victory in the elections. It was now in a position to form governments at the centre and in all the provinces in coalition with other parties.

There were great expectations. People looked forward to a new era of true democracy. Also the restoration of the Chief Justice of Pakistan and other Supreme Court and high court judges.