Nawaz Sharif’s dilemma and response
By INAYATULLAH July 11, 2008 Heaping blame for the current dreary and worrisome conditions on Musharraf and the Chaudhrys " for the horrendous inherited economic, social and administrative problems " is fast losing relevance. Yes the legacy has been “a country in trouble” as BBC put it, “A crumbling economy, food and fuel shortages, an ineffective administration, effete institutions, rising insecurity, intermittent bomb blasts, increasing alienation in Balochistan, ominous developments in the Northwest, American missiles hitting targets in tribal areas and increasing threats from Washington and Kabul for direct action.”
High expectations from the post February 18 federal government have been belied by its poor performance. The gap between the capacity to cope with and address the issues and challenges and the magnitude of the tasks is indeed enormous.
The coalition of political forces represented by the PPP, PML-N and ANP was hailed as a triumph of the democratic process deriving its inspiration and strength from the Charter of Democracy. Here was the beginning of a new process after the dark days of dictatorship. The people had rejected the military-led dispensation and were on their way to run their affairs themselves. The “removed” senior judges would return to their benches and parliament will be supreme.
Alas! Soon enough, a sense of disillusionment set in. The realisation dawned that the leading political party was not a free agent. Its leadership had clipped its wings by entering into a Deal with the army chief. In return for the removal of the noose of criminal and corruption cases from their necks, the incumbent head of the state would be taken as Kosher and therefore acceptable. The dubious bargain served well both the parties. How else to explain the PPP’s defence minister acknowledging Musharraf as a “national asset”, Gilani emphasising president Musharraf as a part of the parliament and Zardari declaring that he was quite comfortable working with him. How else to find an answer to Musharraf’s handpicked Malik Qayyum continuing to work as the country’s attorney general and Lt General (retd) Durrani being installed in the prime minister’s office as the security adviser? How to explain that the new civilian administration made no move to restore hundreds of key jobs to civilian officers " jobs usurped by serving and retired military officers? (Cheers for General Kiyani to bring the serving officers back to military duty.) How else to explain the continuation of economic and foreign policies by the new government? Above all how is it that Zardari has so far, successfully resisted the restoration of the judges?
