Elections of the Senate Chairman
By Syed Kamran Hashmi
 Westfield, IN

As soon as the PPP proposed Senator Raza Rabbani as its candidate for the chairman of the upper house of parliament, Nawaz Sharif pulled back his party’s nominee and announced to support the left-leaning politician from the opposition. With that move Senator Rabbani won his election uncontested. And also with that, Pakistani politics took another baby step towards mutual respect and harmony in the dirty business of power, a long awaited culture missing for decades.

Could one have imagined this coordination in the 1990s, when the two rival parties, the PPP and PML-N, fought like cats and dogs without realizing that both were being played by ‘higher powers’? Probably not.

However, I guess after being in exile and jail, after enduring physical abuse and mental torture, and after being fooled twice, both of them realized the truth. As such, after the 2008 elections they came prepared, not willing to be played by the ‘third party’, not in the name of corruption, bad governance or violence, not to “save the country”, protect its wealth from corrupt rulers or secure its assets, and for sure not to benefit the establishment.

How did they protect their fort from the conspiratorial attacks of non-democratic forces? Through an impregnable Charter of Democracy I think, a document to guide them in the avoidance of constitutional crises both in the form of midterm elections and unconstitutional transfer of power (also known as martial law). Trust me, their strategy worked since, for the first time in the history of Pakistan, a civilian government completed its tenure and transferred power to another civilian government after the elections. Furthermore, they did not hide the agreement from the people or the media, avoiding any controversies, denouncing any under-the-table handshakes and participation in illegal settlements. Instead, they published these “new rules” signed by the late chairperson of the PPP, Benazir Bhutto, and the current Prime Minister of Pakistan, informing the “interested parties” about their not-so-very bright future.

I think it goes without saying at this point that Senator Raza Rabbani, the current chairman of the Senate, led the committee that negotiated the agreement from the PPP’s side while Senator Ishaq Dar and Ahsan Iqbal represented the PML-N. Not only that, Mr Rabbani was also a member of the constitutional reform committee that drafted the comprehensive 18th Amendment, which strengthened the federation by resolving the old thorny issue of provincial autonomy and reversing the supra-parliamentary powers of the president. That was why when Nawaz Sharif withdrew his party’s nominee in favor of Mr Rabbani, a person with “a clean reputation” even to the cynical PTI, it surprised no one. It was what we all expected should have happened.

The PM’s decision also sent a positive signal to the common people from the ruling elite about how serious they were in resolving the country’s problems together, keeping aside all their differences. I agree that the lists of their priorities may be different and, at a glance, they do not match each other either. For people, the solution starts with the revival of the economy and the creation of jobs, then comes the old battle against corruption, nepotism and bribery, followed closely by permanent resolution of the power (electricity) crisis that has been languishing for a decade now. For the politicians though, another type of power crisis, dangling around political stability, consumes their energies. Their concerns include: trying to find a happy medium in sharing power with the military and avoiding an ‘emergency’ like situation, followed by improving the law and order situation of the country and minimizing confrontation with neighboring states. It may appear that both these lists have nothing in common and the politicians, acting selfishly and to some extent criminally, just want to strengthen themselves. But, in reality, whether it is political stability, the relationship with the armed forces or the attainment of peace, it will result only in two things: job creation and economic growth benefiting the common man. I see no contradiction in the list and hence no problem with their approach.

Having said that, it does not mean the dismal performance of the PPP-led coalition government in their last tenure can go without criticism or that the sheer incompetence we witness in Punjab and at the Center should not be condemned. We have to highlight areas of weakness, identify corruption and reveal kickbacks. It is also as important to give politicians credit when it is due and celebrate decisions in which they have shown responsibility and maturity. That, I am sure, is tough for us. Just like a jealous, insecure stepmother, we always shy away from appreciating them and have turned into a nation that hates its politicians no matter what. Although they have ruled for only half the number of years we have been a country and have enjoyed real power for even less, we still believe that anything that goes wrong, must go wrong because of them. To give you an example, let me first ask: who ignored the situation of Karachi in the last 15 years? Then tell me: who started the operation two years ago? And now answer this: who is getting the credit for it?

While much wrong has happened in the country since the new administration took charge, no doubt about it, one thing we have noticed many times is their ability to sit down together and come up with a solution. This includes the Karachi operation as discussed, action against religious extremists, bringing forth the constitutional amendment, electing the new chairman of Senate and, yes, dealing with ‘conspiracies’ like the freedom march and a ‘revolutionary’ sit-in.