The New Nation - Internet Edition

MAH Nazim

History-long arch-rival Pakistan People's Party and Pakistan Muslim League-Newaz together now have been able forming a national government of unity for the first time. Both PPP and PML-N have long historical backgrounds for the emergence and promotion of Pakistani statehood and democracy, flatly to be said.

Recently, these rival parties have succeeded to form a coalition government under the presidency of Pervej Mosharraf, the chief ally of Bush's War on Terrorism. PPP Chairman and son of slain Benazir Bhutto-studying in Oxford University-avoiding greatly expected Makhdom Amin Fahim, popular PPP acting president, nominated Yusuf Raja Gilani as the Premier of Pakistan. This decision has dissatisfied with many due to firing Makhdom Fahim.

The new Gilani-administered government has heavy challenges such as combating Islamist terrorism inside and outside of Pakistan, reinstatement of fired judges in the apex court who were sacked by Pervej Musharraf, democratisation in country politics and minimising army's role in politics etc and what not. How much strong personality Gilani deserves, it is the prior matter to see obviously. He has many records, as leading Pakistani journalist Hamid Mir narrated, to say 'no' to his bosses.

The new premier went to jail in 2001, serving five years following a conviction over illegal government appointments. This was during his term as Speaker of parliament between 1993-96.

The sentence was passed by an anti-corruption court formed by President Gen Musharraf as part of what he termed measures to cleanse politics. His opponents say it was a means of intimidating and coercing their members to join his government.

Mr. Gilani, by the way, was born on 9 June 1952 in Karachi but his family hails from the Punjab. The Gillanis are among the most prominent of landowners and spiritual leaders in the south of the province. Their home town is the ancient Punjabi city of Multan, one of the oldest unbroken human settlements in the world.

The family's prominence naturally led to vying for political power. His grandfather and grand-uncles joined the All India Muslim league and were signatories of the 1940 Pakistan resolution. This was the declaration which eventually led to partition.

His father, Alamdar Hussain Gillani served as a provincial minister in the 1950s. Mr. Gillani joined up in 1978 when he became a member of the Muslim League's central leadership. This was soon after he completed his MA in journalism at the University of Punjab. His first term as a public servant was as a nominee of General Zia-ul-Haq.

The Pakistan Army chief had been the country's dictator since he overthrew elected Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto in a 1977 coup. Mr. Bhutto was later executed in 1979, an act that forever soured the relationship between the army and the PPP. Mr. Gillani was elected as the chairman of the Multan union council in 1983.

Two years later he was elected to the federal parliament. It was during this first stint that circumstances arose which led to his leaving the League. While serving as a minister he fell out with then Prime Minister Mohammad Ali Junejo. This led to him being replaced as minister and sidelined in the party.

The democracy road, by the by, in Pakistan is very bizarre, to be spoken. The manners, culture, people's outlook, role of the establishments, feudalistic societies etc are the key points here to analyse the political situation there.

If we look back in the historical retrospect of British-India, we disclose the clumsy, painful and divisive feature, indeed. Why and how the political parties in Pakistan failed to continue democratic rule in the country? We will now try to find out the causes behind it below.

In 1906 during British era, the Muslim leaders especially Bengali Muslim leaders formed All India Muslim League for the counter face of Indian National Congress. There was an idea erected in the mental construct of Muslim community that Congress was representing and looking after the interests of Hindu community and Muslim should have separate party which would look after the interests of Muslim community, actually.

After the partition in 1947, Muslim League put away the sight from the mainstream of the entire national interest. Mohammad Ali Jinnah, who was the chief of it then, was allegedly the harbinger for de-democratisation in the country of Pakistan from its very inception.

No doubt, he was a charismatic leader to some portion of people of the then Indo-Pakistan. But, he lost his apex and unique leadership image to the undivided Pakistani people gradually. Pakistani leaderships virtually failed to form a constitution to rule the country despite Jinna was governing the state. Besides, the elite rulers, Jinnah himself too, of Pakistan launched despotic ruling system through Governor General-style of hierarchy in the state.

On the other hand, the other country of India which born simultaneously with Pakistan, to be said, however, from the very beginning started democratic ruling system albeit the last Governor General of Britain to British-India Lord Mount Batten was in charge of head of the state in India. Shortly after, this country succeeded to form constitution, pluralistic characters of the politics and other political culture etc that led friendly pace to the Indian democracy.

I cannot restrain my temptation to mention a vocalisation of Mohanchand Karamchand Gandhi alias Mahatma Gandhi that 'simple living, high thinking' in national life was absent in Pakistani ruling characters.

Hi-influential Pakistani army, meanwhile, took interference in the Pakistani national politics. A number of technocrat and non-political bodies came to the politics which destabilised the normalcy of country and politics. Ataur Rahman Khan, a renowned politician and later the premier of military ruler Ziaur Rahman's administration in independent Bangladesh, disclosed the role, in his famous book 'Ojarotir Dui Bachar,' of Pakistani bureaucrats in politics. He showed in his book that hi-powered military and civil bureaucrats were always busy to keep their interests safe using the mode of politics.

There was little chance of politicians in the government body and they were aloof from major decision making policies.

Nevertheless, Pakistan is still ruled by the elite groups of the society. Mohammad Ali Jinna, Bhutto dynasty, Newaz Sharif, Yusuf Gilanni, military forces etc were and are the elite elements in the country. So the hunger for grabbing the state and local power were used to prevail there from long since.

Even they adopted bloodshed means to be succeed.

A number of political assassinations took place intending to grab as well as to strengthen the thrown in state power. For the last instance, forced exiled PPP leader Benazir Bhutto is the last top political figure who braced suicide attack death in the military city of Rawalpindi on 25th December of 2007.

Just after her death, PML-N boss Newaz Sharif and Asif Ali Zardari, PPP acting chief who was also charged with corruption during Sharif regime, met together to dethrone Muharraf from the state power.

They both claimed Mosharraf's hand behind this brutal assassination although he categorically denied his himself or government's agency's involvement behind the killing. Even, he invited UK-based Scotland Yard in his country to investigate the case.

As far the history page says, a number of people from various quarters of Pakistani society under the cancelled-Chief Justice Iftekhar Muhammad Choudhury were on the streets about Musharraf's decision canceling him from the job of Pakistan CJ. They staged demonstration against Musharraf's such dictatorial action. The international TV media showed then democracy-loving people were protesting on the roads seeking to reinstate Justice Choudhury and other judges on their posts as well as to restore democracy in the country.

In this time, it is to be said, all the rivalry politicians, except MQM and PML-Q, came under same umbrella of this resolute justice. The democratic character, however, was virtually seen to come in the political arena. At last, deterring national elections after few times, PML-N and PPP alliance won a big victory defeating Musharraf-backed PML-Q in the parliament in Feb 18 elections.

The political leaders for the first time, indeed, expressed views to force Mushie step aside immediately.

The general people of the country, we believe, do not like to see him more in the power. Albeit he was apparently a strong crusader against militancy inside and outside of Pakistan, now, it seems he is a failure oar-man of the country.

He should immediately step down otherwise he may have to buttress the painful fate of his predecessor Gen Ziaul Haque, who died in a mysterious plane crash.

There is a wide range saying around Pakistan politics and in the USA too, Musharraf is a staple ally of Bush-led 'war on terrorism' against Taliban and internal militants who are supposed to be like minded and activists of Taliban and al Qaeda.

Musharraf helped with 90,000 troops to the US forces and Nato forces operating anti-Taliban raid in neighbouring Afghanistan. It's an interesting matter that Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirate recognised Taliban-administered Afghanistan since 1996 to before 2001 collapse.

Another big culprit is militancy. When the most powerful and military mighty state of America and Nato forces experienced frequent attack by the Taliban, alleged Saudi jihadists and local Qaeda-backed militants; the Bush administration asked Pervej administration to launch attacks on Afghan bordering militant hotbeds.

But, there was 'no attack' deal between suspected tribal warlords and the government bearing that the troops would not attack on the region, especially on North and South Waziristan near Afghan frontier.

Galloping US huge pressure Musharraf's troops started bombing and airstrike on the 'militant' hotspots in mid-July of 2006 that triggered relentless suicide attacks across the country. Such strikes in the tribal regions of Bajaur and South Waziristan, in late 2006 and early 2007, enraged militant leaders. They vowed revenge against the government saying the government betrayed with them scrapping 'no attack' deal unilaterally.

On the other hand, in July, 2007, the army's storming of the radical Red Mosque in the country's capital, Islamabad, added fuel to the fire. More than 200 people were killed in the three attacks. The government described the occupants of the Red Mosque as militants, but they and their political allies said they were either religious students or innocent civilians.

The most dangerous matter is some women wearing veils from top to toe made suicide attacks on army or police checkpoints. Day by day, the death toll caused by these hatred attacks is rising and spread the panic among the masses deeply.

So, it is very crucial matter to handle such briskly insecure situation for Mr. Gilani. Most people believe in the country that such odd phenomena can not be postponed making military or gunship attacks rather it is more scientific to solve the problem negotiating and talking with embattled groups. Moreover, a ceasefire treaty and restoration of arms from terrorists in the landmass is must.

The democratic leaderships have to be let function on right track. Besides, Gilani govt.'s big challenge is to deal with the US govt. more technically because the US is believed to be the mastermind behind all scenes. It is the time to wait to see the aftermath for how this government of representatives can handle the upcoming uncertain circumstances of the state.