Thanks to the intense confrontation overarching the countrys political landscape the PPPs emergence as the largest party in the Senate elections that concluded on Wednesday tends to go largely unnoticed as a non-event. Of course, it should cheer up the PPP leadership, as it is the first time in more than a quarter of a century that the party has been catapulted to the first position in the upper house.
But it does not give the PPP, the numbers enabling it to amend the constitution, if it is required as a bargaining chip to deal with the PML (N) on the future of the Seventeenth Amendment. But for the disqualification/unseating of Sharif brothers and imposition of governors rule on Punjab the prospects of obtaining a condition of co-existence between the principal political stakeholders, PPP and PML (N), always existed.
Perhaps no more. In a public show of strength with 207 members standing by him on the stairs of the Punjab Assembly the other day, the junior Sharif has conveyed to the powers that be that the PML (N) is a reality that cannot be ignored. Whatever the legal justification put forward by President Zardari and his advisors for their removal, in the eyes of an average person in Punjab they stand on moral high ground. In the house of 371 they have the support of 207; what else is required of the PML (N) to form a government, the people ask.
It is a matter of public record that in flagrant defiance of neutrality expected of him as the federations representative, Governor Salmaan Taseer had worked to bring the countrys largest province under the PPP rule. So, no wonder, within a few hours of unseating of Shahbaz Sharif, governors rule was imposed on Punjab.
Was Punjab really confronted with a situation that the government could not be carried on in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution that it should have been placed under the governors rule? Compare it with chaos and anarchy reigning in the NWFP and Balochistan.
If they are spared of direct control by the president, why then Punjab could not be - when the only stated cause is said to be a press conference by the Sharif brothers. If the governors rule was expected to improve governance in Punjab we have this attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team as evidence to the contrary. And if the governor has been tasked to buy and sell horses the PML (N) show on the stairs of the Punjab Assembly should serve as a strong disincentive.
There should be no doubt about the Q-Leagues Forward Bloc members commitment to stand with the Sharifs party even at the cost of their membership. In this background there is absolutely no justification for the governors rule to continue. The sooner it is lifted the better, both for the people and politicians.
We are confident once the PML (N) is handed back the government in Punjab there is the likelihood of things cooling down in other areas of conflict and controversy, including the lawyers protest. With the PML (N) on board the issue of judges restoration should be far more amenable to an amicable solution. The ball is in the governments court.
It can improve the climate for mutual trust and co-operative relationship with opposition, in the elected houses and out of them, by pursuing a policy of live and let live. The prompt withdrawal of the mobile courts ordinance in response to public sentiment should leave no one in doubt about President Zardaris will and intentions to stay tuned to the public opinion.
One would not believe that the top political leadership on both sides of the political divide is devoid of any sensitivity to the impending challenges facing Pakistan, and that these can be met with any degree of success only when the country is politically stable and the people are united. And that is very much possible, the seemingly controversy-free appears to be a more convincing testimony.
Comments
Comments are closed.