Nawaz versus Zardari
By INAYATULLAH August 22, 2008 A widely disliked dictator has been forced to resign. He deployed all his resources to somehow continue to remain in office despite a clear-cut rejection of his party and his policies by the people of Pakistan way back in February. He resigned rather than face impeachment.
A grave responsibility has fallen on the custodians of the democratic order. They have inherited formidable problems of all kinds â€" internal and external. These include the War on Terror in NWFP, unrest and militancy in Balochistan, economic down-turn, fiscal and trade deficits rupee devaluation, food and fuel shortages, power outages, mounting prices, increasing inequality, rising crime and insecurity, dysfunctional institutions, deteriorating public services and rampant corruption.
Performance of the federal government led by the PPP during the last five months has been poor. Hardly any of the problems or issues has been resolved. A major factor for this disappointing record is the nature and calibre of the PPP leadership. The party has failed to inspire confidence about seriousness of purpose and competence. The worst manifestation of its lack of responsibility and credibility has been its reprehensible show of chicanery in the matter of restoration of judges.
It had persuaded PML-N to join the government as a coalition partner. Nawaz Sharif agreed to be part of the coalition on the condition that judges would be restored within a month. Zardari signed the agreement to do so. When 30 days were over and no steps taken to fulfil the pledge, he not only didn’t acknowledge the lapse on his part, he belittled his commitment by saying that the Murree Declaration was a mere “political statement”.
