Mutual Respect
By Col. Riaz Jafri (Retd)
Westridge 1,
Rawalpindi
Now that we are hopefully on the road to full democracy and general elections are promised to be held on 8 January 2008, we should start thinking of implementing measures that would ensure real democracy in letter and spirit. One of the causes for democracy not taking solid roots in Pakistan has been the tussle between the Heads of the Government (Prime Ministers) and the Heads of the State (Governor Generals/Presidents) over power sharing between the two. Right from the early days of Governor General Ghulam Muhammad dissolving the Constituent Assembly and firing Prime Minister Khwaja Nazimuddin seeds of discord were sown between the two heads. The impasse became so acute that during the tenure of the first President of Pakistan Major General (R) Iskander Mirza the first Martial Law had to be imposed. Thereafter in the successive governments both tried to curtail the powers of the other through various constitutional measures and amendments, some of which were comically most unconstitutional. Not only that, through subtle designs efforts were made to reduce the importance of the Presidents by installing totally tutelar figurehead Presidents like Ch. Fazal Ilahi and Mr. Muhammad Rafiq Tarar. In order to display the President-like grandeur, Mr. Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto while stepping down from the position of the President to the PM of the country brought along with him all the Presidential protocol and fan-fair - the ADCs, the Military Secretary, the National Anthem, etc. etc. Nowhere in the world the Prime Minister enjoys these protocols. Our politicians who are never tired of citing the Indian democratic traditions totally ignore this aspect of the simplicity of the Indian PM. The Indian PM just appears on the TV to address the nation without any fan fair. No national anthem is played, no national flag flutters on the TV screen, no nothing. Such ostentatious display inadvertently breeds haughty-ness which in turn leads to a snooty, conceited behavior towards others. I would, therefore, as a first step towards normalization and ensuring mutual respect between these two highest offices suggest that all such protocols be withdrawn from the future Prime Ministers. We must realize that the Head of the State is the head of the country. So is the PM the head of the government. Similarly, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court is the head of the judiciary in the country. They are institutions and must respect and not let down each other. Each one of them and other institutions are important for democracy to flourish in the country. Each one has a definite role to play. They must strengthen each other instead of competing against each other with one trying to establish his superiority and hegemony over the other. Return of NS Mian Nawaz Sharif has returned to Pakistan after an exile of nearly seven years. Despite his undertaking not to return to Pakistan before 10 years, how has his return come about is no more a secret. King Abdullah not only offered his plane to transport the family to Pakistan but has also gifted a bullet-proof car to Nawaz to ensure his safety and security. If BB could have it why can't he? The car, according to the Aaj TV, arrived at the Lahore airport on Sunday, 25 November 2007 in a C-130 aircraft. It had no number plate on it when the two-time ex-prime minister of Pakistan rode on its rooftop to Data Darbar from the airport accompanied by his admirers who had gone berserk. Sadly, one such enthusiast was seen grabbing him by the collar to pull him up to the car roof. What was most surprising was that the ex-PM seemed to be completely oblivious of the traffic offence he was committing by bringing an unregistered motor vehicle on the road. But who cares? Haven’t we often seen our worthy political leaders, who leave no stone unturned in crying themselves hoarse for the implementation of the rule of law, themselves violating the very basic rule of riding on the roof top of buses during their processions? And as if that was not enough, they have the audacity to wave to the masses too perched there and displaying their prowess of blatantly flouting the law. Where is the grace we would like to see in our leaders? What implementation of the rule of law can we expect from such violators of the law? Or, are they above the law? Viva la democracy.
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