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A New Beginning For Pakistan

Muhammad Shafiq - 3/23/2008

The oath-taking of the new National Assembly was peaceful, unlike its past experience, but a quite beginning, one fears, does not seem to match the stormy sessions it will witness in days and weeks to come. It is the first assembly that wants to change the status quo in the country, so a fierce battle is expected between the establishment and genuine political parties of the country who have an agenda to break the establishment and work for democracy.

The sobre mood of the ruling political parties, the PPP, spearheaded by Asif Ali Zardari, and the PML-N, led by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, reflects serious challenges the ruling coalition would face on national and international fronts. Urgent national issues are skyrocketing prices of daily-use items, inflation, law and order, unemployment, education and healthcare, while Pakistan's role in the so-called war on terror remains its main worry on the international front.

However, before solving any other problem, the new ruling coalition had to pledges the restoration of the judiciary in 30 days after taking oath of its office, on pressure from lawyers who have been protesting for the cause for over a year now. The restoration of the judiciary means direct and open confrontation with President Pervez Musharraf who has weakened in the last few months but looks determined to continuing his rule despite heavy odds.

It is for the first time in the history of the country that the two ruling parties, which had just a simple majority in parliament after the general election, now have almost a two-thirds majority which is necessary to amend the constitution and impeach the President who is the main hurdle in the restoration of the deposed judges of the Supreme Court of Pakistan. However, the survival of President Pervez Musharraf and the restoration of the judiciary depend on support from the army and the US.

The relationship between the two erstwhile archrival parties – the PPP and the PML-N – and their struggle against President Pervez Musharraf will determine the future course of politics in the country. People in general have a mixed feeling of hopes and fears. Some believe the two will win against the establishment and work for the betterment of the people while others believe they would fail miserably against a powerful and all-conquering establishment of the country which wants to rule the country like a colonial power.

The stakes are high as it is also the first time in the history of the country that two rival parties have decided to share power in a fair and amicable manner. Politicians believe that the PPP and the MLN have learnt lessons from the past and are set to launch a struggle for the rights of the people. Both parties have shown tremendous maturity in evolving the Bhurban declaration. But there are fears as well. The survival and smooth functioning of coalition governments in the Centre and all four provinces, for the first time in the country, will also be an uphill task. The biggest fear is that the two parties may not stay together for long and split soon.

In fact, there are more fears about the PPP than the PML-N. There was a feeling that Asif Zardari may have already mishandled the issue of the nomination of prime minister. The party has come to power after a long period of 12 years and everybody in the party wants a piece of the pie in power. There are all indications that Amin Fahim will not be appointed prime minister of the country but he may damage his career if he falls for any trap laid down by the establishment to divide the PPP.

Analysts believe the President would resign after moral and political pressure that he would face in the coming days. In a situation when he will have no officer to defend him, no intelligence agencies to perform tricks, no control of PTV and the PEMRA to stop an aggressive media, he will have no other option but to leave. Even his own party – the PML-Q – has distanced itself from him and its leaders are openly blaming their failure in the election for his policies.