The New Nation - Internet Edition

Dr. M. S. Haq

It is expected President Musharraf will win the upcoming election in Pakistan because the people of the country do not have, at the present time and among other things, any other viable candidate with profiles, standings and achievements comparable to those of the incumbent president - unless some unusual or unexpected things (or both) happen in the country between now and the election or immediately after that It is hoped that will not be the case.

It may be mentioned here the performance of President Musharraf in the election will not only depend on a number of things but will indicate a number of things, for an instance. Those things could, among other things, be instrumental in augmenting further and sustaining further peoples' support for the president both within and beyond the scope of the upcoming election. Please note: I have used deliberately the term "peoples'" and not "the people" in the above sentence because elections in countries in the contemporary period have atained, in many respects and among other things, a borderless dimension, as well as character. A few of the things mentioned above are presented below - in the question form (mostly) and not in the order of priority or importance.

How do the people of Pakistan and others - at individual, collective and other levels - perceive and evaluate, without any undesirable fear or pressure, the productivity (= efficiency + effectiveness) of present government and governments of for example, PM Nawaz Sharif and PM Benazir Bhuto when it comes to factors such as, facing uncertainties, meeting challenges, harnessing opportunities, creating successes and contributing to or inviting failures? Why and how results, outcomes and impacts of President Musharraf's government over the years, particularly in the recent years are relatively beter or not beter or otherwise than results, outcomes and impacts of governments of his immediate predecessors, in qualitative, quantitative and other terms?

Although human memory is short in a sense but memory traces at individual, as well as collective levels and memories at ICT, institutional and other levels (as applicable) could assist the people of Pakistan in the effort towards making comparative and competitive judgments - based on say, their feeling, experience and understanding - about maters such as: under which government or governments their needs, wants and expectations have so far been served in a relatively best possible manner and to the maximum satisfaction of all concerned?

How do the people of Pakistan perceive and evaluate, in qualitative, quantitative and other terms, the country's immediate future under the continuing leadership of the president and under a somewhat reconfigured constituency in the domain of governance that might take a clear, as well as solid shape following implementation of an expected Pervez-Benazir deal? How do the people of Pakistan evaluate and value overall achievements of the country in post 9/11 era under the leadership of military president Musharraf? How do they judge the incumbent president and his government's role in transforming Pakistan into a strong ally of the US after 9/11 and in sustaining that status as of today (02 October 2007)? To what extent they are in favor of liberating the country from terrorism, religious extremism and other anti-Islamic, as well as anti-people activities?

What kind of president the people of Pakistan is looking for at this point in time (for the country) when threats, risks, vulnerabilities and activities associated with terrorism and other anti-people plus anti-state activities have been posing formidable challenges to the country's effort towards advancement of peace, progress, prosperity - including inter alia the per capita welfare of people, and security in a result-oriented and sustainable manner at local, national, regional, global and other levels?

The good news is: despite above and other constraints, it is apparent from media (both print and electronic - including inter alia PTV and Geo TV) other reports, the country has made a considerable progress in relevant areas in the recent years. Congratulations!

The people might argue about inadequacies or even failures of the Musharraf government when it comes to events relating to, among other things, removal of the country's chief justice and maters connected with or ancillary to handling of politics, relevant political parties plus their leaders under certain circumstances. They could be right in many respects. But the people - to whom it may concerned - should, among other things, need to be more explorative, more pragmatic and more matured while forming opinions about those and related events plus maters or while making judgments on those and related events plus maters or both. One of the concerns here is: the maters are not blown out of proportions. It may be mentioned here: cursory statements (as applicable) about those events and maters, disseminations of those statements, and perceptions of peripheral nature about those events, as well as maters could, among other things, be instrumental in creating, promoting and sustaining confusions and misunderstandings in Pakistani and other societies. Such things are not desirable at least at this critical hour of the country's history.

In light of above and maters pertaining to say, the president's own failure to keep his uniform related promise which he had made previously before the public (I mean, the earlier one): it is expected the people of Pakistan and others will be able to deal with those and other related things against the backdrop of factors such as and as appropriate: (i) time, contents, contexts, constraints (created intentionally or otherwise), motives and motivations; (ii) cause, effect and causality; (iii) to err is human; (iv) costs and benefits; (v) objectivity; (vi) foresightedness; and (vii) wholesomeness - used in physical, virtual and other senses. It will be interesting to point out here: the mater relating to reinstatement of the chief justice to his original position could, among other things, be viewed as the victory of people's power over the power of government It indicates inter alia: one, Pakistanis can control the decision and the action of President General Pervez Musharraf and his administration as and when they deem fit in the greater national interest but at a cost; and two, the existence of democracy, in certain forms and degrees, in Pakistan under the regime of General Musharraf. The present day media freedom, in one form or another, in Pakistan is an example of democratic practices therein.

I believe Pakistan - like, Bangladesh and other countries (to whom it may concern) - should step up anti-corruption activities at local, national and other levels and make more impact oriented efforts towards liberating the country from corrupt politicians, corrupt political environments and corrupt political practices, to mention a few. I can feel the intensity of political pressure Pakistan has been enduring for quite sometime now on account of a possible Pervez-Benazir deal, as well as developments relating to former PM Nawaz Sharif.

It could be that choices available presently to the president of Pakistan in respect of for example, maters pertaining to former PM Benazir and former PM Sharif are limited due to a host of internal and external factors, whether controllable or not and whether personal or otherwise. But I believe the people of Pakistan will not, from now onwards, allow corrupt politicians or politicians accused of corruption or suspected corrupt politicians or politicians involved in anti-state and anti-people activities to participate, in one way or another, in the formation, running and controlling future governments of the country. It should be noted here: the determination of acts and omissions constituting political misconducts on the part of politicians and others should be made in a fair, transparent, accountable and satisfactory fashion, per se.

In light of above, it is expected people will review again for example, the anticipated Musharraf-Benazir deal and support President Musharraf in excluding corrupt politicians (used in a wider sense including inter alia suspects) from the deal. The president could negotiate the deal with the concerned political party and party leaders who are not associated with corruption and other anti-people, as well as anti-state activities. Otherwise, the president could negotiate deals with other political parties and honest political leaders in the overall local, national and global interest In an extreme situation, the president could seek the people's verdict on the mater through a referendum, for example.

The last word: I will be failing my duties, if I do not mention how much pleased I am with the quality of President Musharraf that he has demonstrated so far through relevant debates and discourses at various forums including those of TV talk shows. I found the president to be smart, alert, articulate, informative, intelligent and foresighted - he seems to possess a high degree convincing skills, as well as self-awareness. He appears to be a doer, and people can learn easily pertinent things from his deliberations, per se. If his intention is good, if his moral strength is high, and if he is fully commited to say, national interest, I am sure he will win the election easily by the grace of God. In such an event, one of his post election challenges will be: how best and quickest he could be instrumental in the realization of election promises to the satisfaction of all concerned. Wishing him all the success in the election and beyond.