News
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Imran helps PPP govt attain rare stability
By Muhammad Akram
LAHORE: The repositioning of numerous individuals and groups of political orphans in Punjab, particularly in southern part of the province due to the stir created by Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and a general rouse in the ranks and files of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) have given new lease of life to the rare stability to the three and half years rule of the PPP-led coalition in the Centre.
The PPP-led federal coalition government, which once reduced to a minority government as its partners, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) - left it crumbling early this year, now finds itself in a position where it can dare challenge the opposition PML-N to bring in an impeachment motion against the president or a no-confidence motion against the prime minister.
The phenomenal change in fortunes for the PPP-led coalition government though are largely because of the political support of the PML-Q, which helped the Gilani administration to breath a sigh of relief after attaining reasonable stability against MQM’s routine political blackmail, the recently surfaced Imran Khan factor has provided a new impetus to the government in tackling the PML-N’s onslaught, particularly the ‘Go Zardari Go’ movement on an of repeated and politically in-effective slogan of corruption.
With the PML-N struggling to block a large-scale desertion of many of its lieutenants to the PTI and the PPP too feeling the heat, though of a lesser degree, the situation arising out of the anticipated repositioning had resulted in the PML-N to focus on putting its own home in order first than adding some vigour to its movement aimed at subverting the senate polls due in March next year.
The triennial Senate polls in March 2012, if take place, would help the PPP to become the majority party without having any bearing on the next general elections, a nightmarish situation for the PML-N, which off late has started seeing itself as the government-in-waiting before the emergence of Imran Khan’s PTI as a game changer, or a spoiler as still being viewed by many in the PML-N.
Imran Khan’s political positioning vis-à-vis the civilian supremacy over military and the Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry’s reminder to the future military top brass that disobedience to the democratically elected political government would amount to sedition culpable under Article 6 of the constitution would go a long way for the strengthening of democracy and parliamentary rule in the country. The emphatic assertion by PTI chief Imran Khan that military has to follow and report to the boss, the elected prime minister as the case in hand, and the CJP’s resolve that no more adventurism would be tolerated are good omens for the PPP-led coalition government to act sans fear of interference to help the people better their life in its remaining one and half year term.
A great opportunity in this regard has already been availed by the PPP-led coalition government by expediting the peace process with India that would help Pakistan emerge as a hub of regional trade. With the armed forces reportedly on-board in normalising relations with India, an economic turn around would not be a far sight, if the government vigorously followed the initiatives it has undertaken to help cure the economic ailment of the country.
The milestone achievement of fast-tracking Pakistan-India relations sans any significant opposition could help the PPP-led coalition government to fetch political dividends in the next general elections as it would possibly out-smart PML-N’s Nawaz Sharif, who laid the foundation of good friendly ties with India by hosting former Indian prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to a historic visit of Lahore and signing the landmark Lahore Declaration.
The existence of a general consensus on friendly and trading ties with India is a rare phenomenon in the country’s political history, which could be exploited judiciously and for good of the people by taking all the political forces on board. The PTI’s position on normal and friendly Pakistan and India relations has in fact added a new impetus to the efforts being undertaken in the past though unsuccessfully by the PPP and the PML-N. In view of knowledgeable observers the emergence of Imran Khan’s PTI on the national political scene has not only helped the disillusioned masses to enter into the mainstream politics but given a chance to the mainstream political forces to think on modern and popular lines by embracing the disenchanted by saying good bye to the traditional political style of keeping the power in hands of influential families and individuals. With youth championing the cause of democracy and the rule of law in the country, the word ‘politics’ would attain due sanctity which otherwise considered to be a practice of bad and ugly.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk