The country was lucky to get rid of almost nine-year long Musharraf-led military dictatorship in 2008. Despite all the hardships Pakistan faced or still facing, in August 2008 Musharraf was forced to resign. With his resignation, the country returned to what was called "full democracy" but not "full parliamentary democracy."
In this sense, the year 2008 will be remembered exactly like 1998, when Musharraf's predecessor General Zia-ul-Haq was killed in a plane crash in Bahawalpur. This is, perhaps, the only good thing happened in the year ended on Wednesday.
This is a fact that the country returned to democracy following February 18 elections, but for this the democratic forces lost a great leader like Shaheed Benazir Bhutto. She was assassinated in a public rally in Liaquat Bagh, Rawalpindi, the place, where Pakistan's first Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan was also killed in 1951.
Benazir's unfortunate death was huge loss. This loss is irreparable in the context that despite having democracy, the present government does seem to be interested in running the affairs of the state in a way that is missing the true essence of democracy. This is mainly because Benazir Bhutto is, no more alive and the government went into the hands that could have only imagined the power if BB were alive.
It is said that Benazir's PPP struck a deal with Musharraf under the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) to end her self-exile and take part in politics. Benazir has gone. Musharraf is, no more in power, but present democracy is still hostage to the NRO. Musharraf was not the only guarantor of PPP deal. The guarantors included the US and the UK, the two countries where Benazir mostly stayed during her exile.
Musharraf resigned but only when the country was deprived of a leader, whose party, along-with a few others struggled for democracy. One will agree that Musharraf's wrong steps including the registration of case against the deposed Chief Justice (CJ) Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry in Supreme Judicial Council early 2007 and proclamation of emergency late that year were responsible for his downfall. But Benazir's assassination weakened him to the level from where he could not revive.
After proclamation of emergency on November 3, 2007, Shaheed BB was on the record to have stated that proclamation of emergency terminated her deal with Musharraf under the NRO. This, she said at a crowded news conference in Islamabad. Following her press conference and during her stay in the federal capital she made several attempts to meet the deposed CJ who was under house arrest, but she was never permitted.
Her revelation that NRO is no more relevant after emergency was a big announcement and it must have been noticed by Musharraf and his cronies, who were holding everything in the country in their hand at that time. Who was or who were the killers of Benazir? This issue remained overwhelmed by other issues in 2008, but this might be one of the burning issues to dominate the new year beginning tomorrow (Thursday).
In his address on the occasion of first martyrdom anniversary of Mohtarama Benazir at Garhi Khuda Bakhsh, Zardari said that he knew the killers of BB. At appropriate time, the killers will be exposed, he said.
For the president, appropriate time will reach at his pleasure, but for other party leaders and workers, the new-year might be the most suitable time to bring BB killers to justice. The party leaders have started demanding her killers be exposed. Naheed Khan, the most neglected party leader following BB's death, has already urged the president to disclose the names of those who were behind her leader's assassination.
There are certain indications coming from within the PPP, which suggest that all is not going well in the party. Like his predecessor, the present President has absolute powers. Like Musharraf. Zardari is also having the power to dissolve the government. General Musharraf did not use this power and let the PML-Q to lead government and complete its five years term.
Former presidents General Zia, Ghulam Ishaq Khan, Farooq Leghari were also having the same power. The present democratic government will not be different from those who were dismissed by using the 58(2B) in the first half of 1990 decade. There must be a difference between the present democratic set up than those in 90s. One does not understand as to why the present elected president is enjoying a power which had been killer of democracy. The month of March 2009, will be crucial as the PPP is on the record to have stated that they will file 18th amendment for repealing 17th amendment after the completion of new senate election due that month.
But independent analysts are of the view that PPP could have removed some changes including the president's power to dissolve the parliament in the 17th amendment passed by the parliament at the behest of Musharraf without waiting for March. The new-year will definitely put the PPP government to another test.
The present government always feels happy to go along-with the international commitments Shaheed BB had allegedly made with some members of the international community under the NRO. The opposition parties say that the government forgot her commitments she made with the PML-N under the Charter of Democracy (CoD) signed by BB and Nawaz Sharif in London. The present leadership made a commitment on its own when the leaders of allied parties signed the Murree Declaration after the general elections in February 2008. The rulers forgot even the latter.
Democracy only in name will not serve any purpose. Of course, democracy is answer to many problems, but it is the essence of democracy for which the people go to poll their votes. If people failed to influence the government, then democracy and its essence is dead.
There is no doubt that it is one of the most difficult times Pakistan is facing in the wake of November 26 terrorist strikes in the Indian city of Mumbai. Some analysts term the Mumbai strikes another 9/11 and Pakistan was again pushed into tight corner. Pakistan is under double pressures because it has yet to come out of the US pressure following 9/11. On the occasion of 9/11, Pakistan was having dictatorship. At present, there is a democratic government. There is a need to handle the crisis in a democratic way, which must be different from what Musharraf had followed.
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