What Pakistani Leaders Can Learn from the Clinton Presidential Center
By C. Naseer Ahmad
Washington , DC
From a recent speech at the University of Maryland by Pervez Musharraf , Pakistan ’s former president, one feels the passion he has for his country. From the same speech, one fathoms the disgust he has for his nemesis Mian Nawaz Sharif, his former boss and twice former Prime Minister of Pakistan. Actually, through this speech one also finds that there is hardly anyone in the national area for whom Mr. Musharraf has any respect. At least that is how he came across while trying to garner support for his new political party the All Pakistan Muslim League. Although he seemed very upbeat, time will tell whether he will get a second chance.
To be fair, Mr. Musharraf is not the first one to use the Pakistani Diasporas or exile abroad to revive political fortunes. Even though his jovial remarks about Pakistani politicians might not have been too kind, Mr. Musharraf was perhaps a bit more tolerant of dissent than his predecessors who benefited from the media liberated during his tenure.
It would have benefited Mr. Musharraf – and perhaps his opponents too – if he first stopped in Little Rock, Arkansas at the Clinton Presidential Center rather than hob-knobbing with a few with little track record and who might not be able to deliver anyway.
In Little Rock, Arkansas at least he would be reminded again that like Mr. Musharraf, Bill Clinton led his country for eight years. But, he would also get some refreshing education about the rehabilitation of Bill Clinton who humiliated himself into having to explain “what is the meaning of the word ‘is’ is” – during the Monica Lewinsky scandal.
As Mr. Musharraf - or for that matter Messrs. Zardari or Nawaz Sharif - would have entered the Clinton Presidential Center, they would find an education on earthquakes and natural disasters through the numerous displays on the first floor. A display mentions the sixteen plates that make up the earth's surface. Another display contains a telling quote, "nature is not human hearted" from the Chinese philosopher Lao Tsu. Yet another display lists the "biggest and baddest" earthquakes.
Through the educational displays perhaps these politicians would have learned the value of educating the public about sometimes destructive forces of nature. Perhaps by chance, the need for emergency preparedness might have come across their minds. Not to mention that working with opponents of the past could be mutually beneficial. After all, prior to the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and Tsunami, there was little love lost between Bill Clinton and his predecessor President George H. W. Bush. But, together they helped restore each other’s image.
If patience was still considered a virtue and they could spare some time, Mr. Musharraf and his opponents too would find a lot of food for thought on the second floor. "There is nothing wrong with America that cannot be cured with what is right with America " - a quote from Clinton 's first inaugural address. "Is there anything wrong with Pakistan that cannot be cured with what is right with Pakistan?" these leaders might have been tempted to ask or to implore on their fellow Pakistani citizens.
It is generally believed statistics don’t lie. Close to the elevator entrance, a statistical portrait on the wall contrasts the numbers by category (Employment, Crime, Education, AIDS, Poverty and Health) during the Year 2000 - the last year of Clinton Presidency against those in 1992. The numbers speak for themselves so any denunciation or vilifications of predecessors or opponents would be unnecessary or perhaps even uncivilized.
Some latent intellectual curiosity might have made these leaders peek through chronologically ordered files in the hall. "Dear Paul: Sorry to hear about your car accident -- I am glad that your hand fared better than your Volvo", wrote President Clinton on March 7, 1996. "I am the only race car driver in modern history to crash of the circuit at 25 mph. Don't spread that around", replied Paul Newman - the famous actor, on March 13, 1996. In a hand written note, "I will make you a deal - I won’t tell anyone that you crashed at 25 mph, if you don't run for president" replied President Clinton in jest on March 26, 1996.
There are large photo displays of world leaders, which include Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who had a brief stint in 1996 and then in 1998-2004, as well as other world leaders. Unfortunately, there is only a terse mention of any Pakistani leader. The only mention one finds is in the July 5, 1999 "Final Schedule" with a note "OFFICIAL PHOTO ONLY" for a 10 minutes (8:10-8:20 am) meeting with then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, the Pakistani Ambassador and the wives. At 8:25am, the record shows that the President departs the White House via a motorcade to Andrews Air Force Base en route to Lexington , Kentucky .
Any Pakistani - political leader or not - would find it rather humiliating that to find out about Pakistan, one has to dig through the yearly files and discover that the only notable mention is a 'Photo Only' opportunity. Rather than blaming on others, would it not make one think as to what others are doing better?
Those a bit familiar with recent history might remember the reckless Kargil adventure, about which neither Mr. Musharraf nor Nawaz Sharif has stopped finger pointing. What perhaps neither nor Mr. Zardari has been unable to do is to end the disrespect they have helped create for Pakistan.
Contrast this with the record of other Muslim countries. "Mr. President, I have never known someone with your dedication, your clear headedness, focus and determination to help resolve this issue" is an Oct 23rd 1998 quote from King Hussein about the Wye River Accords which is displayed prominently in the hall.
Now apologists for Messrs. Musharraf, Nawaz Sharif and even Zardari will point to the conspiracy theories against the "ideology of Pakistan " or that "Islam is in danger". Ah, the same old tired excuses for passing the buck and not making the bold decisions to change course or to make investments in education, health and other important items on the national agenda.
But, with an open mind the Clinton Presidential Center can give them hundreds of inspirational ideas to make the lives better for the ordinary citizens of Pakistan. After all, each display in this beautiful center tells a story about what really works in these challenging times.
And, if they were to play ball with fellow leaders - however, quirky they might be - like Imran Khan, they might find that there are more ways to serve than launching political parties or just agitating. For example, Financial Times Editor Lionel Barber's November 5, 2010 column "Cricket with FT: Imran Khan" informs the readers about Imran Khan's continuing drive for the Cancer Hospital and the significant fundraising for flood victims. Instead of tearing each other down, they could win a few hearts too.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
