Moving beyond rhetoric

The tumult and disorder besetting the book-launching function he presided over in Lahore on Thursday notwithstanding, Asif Ali Zardari was able to reveal that a PPP president would "soon" occupy the Aiwan-i-Sadr.
In no uncertain terms he told a boisterous audience "the day is not far when a worker of the PPP would be the president of Pakistan ". And, the "first thing the new president would do after assuming office would be to chant 'Jeay Bhutto' in the presidency in the presence of Bilawal, Asifa, Bakhtawar and PPP workers". Then the President, Prime Minister and chief ministers would be taken to Benazir's grave "to pledge their resolve to fulfil her mission".
In the same vein, he also expressed readiness 'to die the death of Benazir' and promised to provide 'roti, kapra aur makaan' as pledged by the founder of PPP, Z.A. Bhutto. But for the rowdiness that hastened an early end to the function and Jehangir Badr's "Evolution of Democracy" could not be launched as such, a rhetorical Zardari would have definitely provided quite a few more insights into our political future.
One thing is now clear: The PPP is about to show the door to Pervez Musharraf and install in that high office a 'Jiyala' - a la the appointment of Salman Taseer as governor of Punjab. This is how Asif Ali Zardari, would like to 'avenge Benazir Bhutto's assassination with democracy'. Indeed, very democratic, but does it fit in with the scheme envisaged by the Constitution?
Under the Constitution the "President of Pakistan shall be the Head of State and shall represent the unity of the Republic". He is expected to be apolitical in his attitude and functioning in consonance with the oath of his office, which mandates that "in all circumstances" he "will do right to all manner of people, according to law, without fear or favour, affection or ill-will".
Once in the high office of President, its incumbent should de-link himself from the party or coalition that catapulted him unto the top slot. Of course the degree of his say in the national affairs would be in line with the future of Article 58 (2) (b) but what is expected to remain constant is his/her position as equidistant to all.
Under the Constitution, there is no such thing as a PPP president or a Jamaat-i-Islami president. Nor is there a constitutional scope for 'Zinda Hai Bhutto Zinda Hai' reverberating from the four walls of the Aiwan-i-Sadr. Even otherwise the political reality does not behove the PPP leadership to lay claim to the country's all-exclusive control, given that in terms of the vote bank though the PPP emerged as the largest party it did not bag majority of votes.
The President of Pakistan should be everybody's president and how that would happen would depend on him. If the past is any guide, Asif Ali Zardari may recall that his party's successive nemeses, Ghulam Ishaq Khan and Farooq Leghari, were PPP nominees and would not have entered the high office without the PPP vote.
It is understandable that political parties and their leaders go for unrestrained rhetoric as they build their election campaigns. But when they come to power by winning parliamentary majorities they are expected to work and show results.
For the present dispensation to have taken the liberty of playing politics with the Constitution instead of coming to grips with myriad problems the people face, is all the more ironic. If they want to do something for the people their plate is full. In the last 61 years of its existence, Pakistan has never been in such dire straits; of course a legacy for the present government and not its doing but can it afford to relegate them behind empty words?
We are about to be through the 'first 100 trend-setting days' of Prime Minister Gilani's government, but is there any tangible change? Power outages are there; food shortages persist with reports of food riots multiplying; and quality of governance remains questionable.
One thing that does not seem to be in short supply, however, is the staple of slogans. Where is the change? Lavish dinners and luxury trips abroad remain unchecked. The pragmatism that Asif Ali Zardari exhibited in the first few days of his taking over the reins of his party and then the government seems to be evaporating. More than any other person he is under the sharp spotlight; how things would change for the better it is his test.