A Victory for the Masses
By Misbah U. Azam, PhD
Phoenix, Arizona
The whole nation should be congratulated on the restoration of the Chief Justice and the deposed judges on the unyielding popular demand of the masses. Unfortunately the Army had to intervene once again to make the Presidency realize the ground reality. Some leaders of the ruling party are now claiming that the government had decided to restore all the judges but was only waiting for the present incumbent of the CJ’s office to retire.
By advancing this argument, they are only insulting the wisdom of the millions who spiritedly supported the lawyers’ movement. It was the determined campaign of the lawyers, the relentless pressure of the media, the courage and resolve of Nawaz Sharif, and persistent goading of veteran political forces inside the government and the PPPP which finally brought the President to agree on something which he had denied several times without mincing words.
Although, after the Feb. 18th elections the PML(Q) is slowly emerging as a viable political force some analysts still believe that the Chouhadry brothers, especially Pevez Elahi, are obsessed with the idea of impacting Punjab politics with their family influence. If this analysis is correct, the Chouhadrys should know that they do not enjoy the influence on PML(Q) like the Bhuttos enjoy on PPP. The PML(Q) will break up if they push the party further. That would make the situation in Punjab more explosive.
After the resolution of the judges issue, it is necessary that:
1) Prime Minister Gilani convinces the Presidency to call off Governor’s rule in Punjab or advise the Governor to get the agreement of other parties, and announce fresh elections in Punjab so that a clear mandate emerges and the stalemate between the Governor and political parties is over before it gets to the center.
2) Prime Minister Gilani must assert his authority as head of the government and deal with all issues. He will be more affective if and when the 17th Amendment is repealed and the Constitution assumes its parliamentary form. Unfortunately, the amendments cannot be brought unless a) PPPP, PML(N) and PML(Q) join hands, or b) there are mid-term elections and one party comes close to gaining two-thirds majority.
3) The Prime Minister should also consolidate PPPP internally by convincing someone from the Bhutto family – Sanam Bhutto, for example – to be a symbolical president of the party which would ensure that the people of Sindh, who have already sacrificed leaders, would not feel that their leadership was ill-treated.
After some of his very democratic and courageous actions the Prime Minister of Pakistan must know that all Pakistanis – inside and outside Pakistan – are pinning their hopes in him. Pakistan does not need only smart, vocal and clever politicians but statesmen – which PPPP never lacked -- who will avoid power- grabbing intrigues and strive to bring about a wholesome change - for the present and the future.
