Benazir-Nawaz meeting

Thursday's meeting in Jeddah between Benazir Bhutto and Mian Nawaz Sharif, leaders of the two major parties, the PPP and the PML-N, is good news for the restoration of genuine democracy in this country. The two sworn enemies of the past vowed not to act in any way that would help "undemocratic forces" to negate the 1973 Constitution and deprive the people of their democratic rights. They called upon all political forces in the country to agree on a "charter of democracy", which, they said, should become the cornerstone for an end to dictatorship for all times to come. Towards that end, they agreed to form working groups that are to frame specific measures for implementing the new charter of democracy.
This, of course, clearly shows that the two leaders have learnt a sobering lesson from the fact that their mutual squabbling in the past had created situations which anti-democracy forces exploited to usurp power and drive them, along with their parties, into political wilderness.
It also shows that some other things have changed too. Outside pressure appears to be the reason the government has not reacted to the Jeddah meeting in the usual manner. It needs to be recalled that a few times Mian Nawaz Sharif gave telephonic interviews, from his exile in Jeddah, to the local media, these elicited strong protests from Islamabad to the Saudi authorities.
He, therefore, has been living a rather quiet life. But during the recent days, after advance publicity, he has been holding high profile political discussions, followed by public statements on joint plans for action.
First he held such discussions with the MMA leader, Qazi Hussain Ahmad, and now with the PPP leader accompanied by her husband, Asif Ali Zardari, to announce an agreement to draw up a charter of democracy, to look for ways to strengthen co-operation between their respective parties, and also to invigorate the ARD. And yet not a squeak of protest has emanated from Islamabad against what easily qualifies to be termed as a historic coming together of two major, pro-democracy forces of this country.
There has been an attempt, though, to discredit this meeting. While Benazir and Nawaz Sharif were announcing their decision to pursue a new charter of democracy in Jeddah, Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad said in Islamabad that the government is in constant touch with the PPP, and there is every possibility to "contest the coming elections in collaboration with the PPP."
The first part of this statement seems to be correct given that the government has not only freed Zardari from his long imprisonment but also allowed him to go abroad to participate in political activities alongside Benazir. However, if the latter has learnt anything from years of hardship in the political arena, she would not allow her party to become a part of the establishment's political machinations.
In any case, if she is willing, as Sheikh Rashid appears to suggest, to form an electoral alliance with the King's party, there was no need for her to make a highly publicised call on Nawaz Sharif, whom the powers-that-be still regard as the most disliked politician, and to pledge to work together for the restoration of "real democracy" and the 1973 Constitution through fair, free and transparent election under an independent and effective Election Commission.
For a long time the liberal forces in this country have been arguing that the main reason why extremist elements have acquired so much clout in this country is that the establishment, through a deliberate policy, has sidelined the mainstream political parties.
It has forced their leadership to live in exile and reduced their parliamentary presence through manipulations of one kind or another. Some even accuse the powers-that-be of having engineered the unprecedented electoral success of conservative religious parties in the last national election.
Hence, it is argued, if the country is to fight the extremist elements, the mainstream parties must be allowed to play their due role in the national politics. And ironically enough, there is a convergence of Western as well as Pakistani national interest on this particular point.
It is a matter of record that whenever there has been a fair and free election in this country, the people have chosen only mainstream liberal parties to form governments.
It is hoped that the easing of restrictions on the activities of the two PPP and PML leaders, as evidenced in the Benazir-Nawaz meeting, will remain effective in the days to come, and that they, on their part, will work together to make the country a liberal, progressive state as envisioned by the Father of the Nation, Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah.