Opinion
Public Guns Will Change the Directions
toward Zardari
by Dr. Khalid Iqbal Tahir
With the tragic death of
Benazir Bhutto, Pakistan People Party (PPP) faced a leadership crisis
beside many other consequences in the country. Sooner the leadership
issue was solved when it was announced that in her will Bhutto had named
her spouse Asif Ali Zardari as her successor. However, Zardari
transferred the responsibility of PPP chairperson to his son Bilawal Ali
Zardari, who changed his name as Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. Now the spouse
and son of Bhutto will shoulder the responsibility of running the party
as co-chairmen.
During general election 2008 Pakistan's People's Party (PPP) won the
largest number of National Assembly (NA) seats, followed by Pakistan
Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). Though PPP won a majority of seats in the
342-member national assembly, or lower house of parliament, but not
enough to form a government on its own.
The PPP needed support from other parties to formulate government.
Zardari took wise and very right decision to make a coalition government
with support from PML (N), Jamiat-e- Ulamai Islam (Fazalurehman group)
and Awami National Party (ANP).
His vision was initially perceived as a lot of political energy creating
agreements among different parties and interests groups in the context
of national interest and his party organization.
Furthermore his willingness to reinstate deposed judges during a 2-party
meeting (PPP and PML-N) in Murree where he agreed and signed an accord
with Nawaz Sharif, his party had won a mandate from the people for its
stand for the restoration of judges. The two sides agreed to push
through a parliamentary resolution to restore dozens of judges forced
out by President Pervez Musharraf. In return Nawaz agreed to share
ministries offered by PPP.
Later during 1st session of National Assembly the announcement of
100-day plan through the Prime Minister Raza Gillani, to end house
arrest of deposed judges, increasing minimal salary, to do away with the
Frontier Crimes Regulations in the tribal areas, lifting the decades-old
ban on student and trade unions, restoration of the deposed judiciary
and lifting of curbs on media, was applauded by the people of Pakistan
from every walk of life and hoped to have further actions.
Meanwhile certain corruption cases against Zardari in various courts
continued the hearing and were cleared soon. Zardari, who has emerged as
a frontrunner to lead a coalition had been cleared in all the cases by
anti-corruption courts inside the country and abroad through the
National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO), a controversial law passed in
October last year by President Pervez Musharraf to grant amnesty in
graft cases to PPP leaders, including Zardari and his slain wife Benazir
Bhutto. The NRO covers the period between 1986 and October 1999. Before
this new government Zardari legal advisor, who is presently Law
Minister, Mr. Faros Naek said the government had failed to prove any of
the allegations of corruption against Zardari. Naek claimed there was no
case pending in Swiss courts against Zardari and there were only
''investigative proceedings'' pending with a magistrate in Switzerland
since 1998.
Naek also pointed out that the Sindh High Court had issued an order to
Pakistan's attorney general and the National Accountability Bureau to
withdraw proceedings against Zardari in courts in London and Switzerland
by March 31, failing which they would be liable for contempt proceedings
and following that attorney general traveled to Geneva and London and
withdrawn the cases.
Pakistan's Supreme Court issued an order upholding the NRO. Following
this, the National Accountability Bureau decided to terminate several
corruption cases it had pursued against Zardari for over a decade.
Anti-corruption courts have also ordered the release of Zardari's assets
and properties that were frozen or confiscated. These included bank
accounts and sugar mills. It is to remind again Zardari spent over eight
year in prison following his arrest in connection with these cases.
Political sources say Zardari remained under heavy pressure from the
United States and Britain, which regard Musharraf as a key ally in the
"war on terror", not to destabilize the president's position.
After Murree accord, Zardari remained engaged in many other activities
to establish new government. He had to make a strategic plan to run the
government. He already cooked something when he suddenly called Altaf
Hussain, leader of Mutaheda Qaumi Movement (MQM) in London and both
leaders agreed after mutual understanding to share power in Sindh
province and central government as well though he never required it! It
was also crystal clear that the worst "law and order" situation where
street crimes were prevalent in Karachi could not be improved while MQM
remain on-board. Later Zardari never liked the counting down the days of
deadline for restoration of deposed judges. He verbally just assured the
media but never show commitment to abide by Murree accord. In a private
TV channel, he expressed his views about judiciary crisis as an ordinary
issue rather other issues of electricity and flour shortage be given
priority. Also he openly talked against deposed Chief Justice Iftikhar
Chaudhry.
In fact Zardari proved himself as non-committal on reinstating sacked
judges. Just few days before deadline of 30-days he left to Dubai, PML
(N) leaders followed him like chasing a person who took loan and run
away. In Dubai, both party members had long discussions and 30-day
deadline passed. It became clear Zardari is never interested to
reinstate all deposed judges because his corruption cases might be
reopened, therefore he conditioned it with a new legislation to allow
all existing judges (pro-Zardari) and deposed judges as well, this will
dilute the effect of deposed judges and also to shorten the employment
tenure of Chief Justice to 3 years so that deposed Chief Justice
Iftikhar could not continue after restoration. Nawaz had to travel to
Dubai and had other long sessions to come to some final decision.
Following two days of talks with Zardari in Dubai, PML-N chief Nawaz
Sharif had announced in Lahore that the deposed judges will be restored
through a parliamentary resolution on May 12.
Asif Ali Zardari has not committed himself to the May 12 deadline set by
his coalition partner Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) for
reinstating judges sacked by President Pervez Musharraf, sparking
speculation that their differences on the issue are yet to be resolved.
However, Zardari told a private TV channel that a committee of legal
experts set up to finalize the resolution for the judges would decide
the matter ''as soon as possible''.
Evading a direct reply to a question whether the judges will be restored
on the date set by Sharif, he said: ''Ask the question about
reinstatement of the judges on May 12 with the committee. It will try
and resolve it as soon as possible.''
The PPP co-chairman's comments were in line with a statement by Law
Minister Farooq Naek, who said that there was no cause for worry if the
May 12 deadline passed because of lack of consensus among all the
stakeholders.
Naek told reporters that the deposed judges may not necessarily be
restored by May 12. The committee of legal experts, of which Naek is the
convenor, will decide whether an executive order or a new legislation
will follow the parliamentary resolution to reinstate the judges, he
said.
But Naek also said that the committee might not reach a consensus by May
12 and would forward the matter to Zardari and Sharif.
No doubt the restoration of deposed judges is not the Zardari agenda at
all. The body-language and tone of Zardari is a crystal clear message he
wants to get rid of PML (N) by any way and willing to have long term
working relations with Musharraf. He is misusing the word
"reconciliation" to mask his original intentions. Even discussion is
underway to have "reconciliation" with former pro-Musharraf governing
party if present leaders are changed. He has already conveyed his
partial plan to so-called religious leader Fazalur Rehman, who agreed
for any support from his side. Further his plan is to destabilize Punjab
province government where PML (N) has the majority and has made
government.
Basically Zardari is not a politician rather a businessman and has been
playing the same way. He has a team of 3-ministers (Interior,
Information, and Law) who play crucial role in implementing all his
decisions and strategies to achieve his goals. Even sincere PPP workers
are upset with his non-political and non-factual attitude. He has become
an untrustable person. This way he is dumping PPP political career into
a deep mud.
Soon the public will change the directions of their guns toward Zardari
instead of Musharraf because people had voted to change the system and
end crisis but PPP has just replaced the PML-Q.
In fact he is playing a game at the cost of stability of the country and
kept his individual benefits superior to collective and national
interest. He will commit a political crime if he does not restore
deposed judges and lose Nawaz support.
On the other hand if Nawaz Sharif is a wise and mature politician and
man of principle, he should immediately withdraw his support in national
assembly and accept to sit on opposition benches. Otherwise public
opinion will not spare PML (N) too as a coalition partner.
Dr. Khalid Iqbal Tahir is with Neonatal
Intensive Care Unit, Dubai Hospital, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
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