Promise, policy, performance

The performance of the Pakistan Peoples Party-led coalition government during the last two years, 2008-10, at a particularly challenging time in the history of Pakistan, has been a collective national effort of all democratic forces and political parties that want to steer Pakistan out of turmoil, and put it on a democratic path of peace, progress and prosperity.
The collective effort is beginning to bear fruit. However, much more needs to be done before decades' old wounds of national polity are healed. Democracy demands patience because it has no quick fixes. No country knows this better than Pakistan, which has achieved it through many sacrifices. And no political force knows this better than the PPP, which has sacrificed its greatest assets to this democratic struggle for freedom and rights of the people.
Despite numerous challenges at domestic, international, economic fronts, and terrorism figuring high, the PPP-led coalition government is implementing its prudent policies, dexterously worked on various fronts to extricate the nation. On assuming office after February 2008 elections, the government had four critical challenges - democratisation of the state, de-Talibanization of society, restoring cohesion of the Federation and macroeconomic stabilisation of the country.
The complex factors were martyrdom of Benazir Bhutto and its impact on Pakistan's politics, authoritarian repression of the judiciary, media and human rights by General Pervez Musharraf (Retd), a severely fractured Federation, economic impasse and intensifying terrorism. It also inherited problems of poverty, loadshedding, energy crisis and disfigured Constitution when the authoritarian rule had yet again pushed Pakistan to the brink.
Democratic policy Initiatives undertaken and accomplishments made by the people's government during the last two years include macroeconomic stabilisation, fight against terrorism, strengthening the Federation through the 7th National Finance Commission award 2009, Aghaz-e-Haqooq-e-Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan Empowerment and Self-Governance Order 2009, legislative business, judicial reforms, democratic media policy, poverty alleviation through Benazir Income Support Programme and workers empowerment through Benazir Stock Options Scheme.
People chose to restore democracy because of their firm belief that it can win a lost war, settle all disputes, and make decisions with national consensus. Democracy alone can protect the Constitution, consolidate the Federation by empowering all provinces, uphold and promote cultural diversity, interfaith harmony, fundamental human rights.
The report, "Promise, Policy, Performance - two years of people's government 2008-10" published by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, is an account of its performance at a particularly challenging time in the history of Pakistan. The world acknowledged how in the last two years, Pakistan's new democracy delivered all these dividends.
The successful military operation against the militants in Swat and Malakand resulted in the restoration of peace, law and order in that north-west region by August 2009. The confidence of the people of Swat and Malakand in this demonstrated capacity and will of the people's government and state institutions to provide them security and care became a critical factor in turning the tide against terrorists in Pakistan.
The government hoisted Pakistan flag in valleys, which had been lost to extremists, challenging the writ of the state. It brought economic stability - the first step to correct economic fundamentals that can ensure equitable and sustainable growth, provide food, shelter and livelihood to every citizen.
A new economic growth strategy is embodied in the government's nine-point plan, which seeks to foster sustainable and more equitable growth by structural improvements in productive sectors of the economy.
In the last two years, the people's government has addressed and redressed the existential challenges faced by the Federation with the help of the process of political reconciliation, and following the principles of pluralist politics. It has been widely recognised that the hammering out of a consensus among the Centre and the provinces on the 7th National Finance Commission award, 2009, is a major achievement and a positive event for those who believe that the future of a vibrant Pakistan lies in a democratic Federation.
Historically, Balochistan was treated by non-representative forces with a 'charity' and 'relief' perspective, by doling out sporadic handouts to its people. But the government has shifted the paradigm. Aghaz-e-Haqooq-e-Balochistan is a good beginning to achieve desired institutional sustainability for an equitable Federation - where right is not relief, but it is enforceable.
Under Gilgit-Baltistan Empowerment and Self-Governance Order, 2009, the Government restored identity of the region by changing its name from Northern Areas to Gilgit-Baltistan. As part of its administrative and legislative decentralisation, the offices of governor, chief minister and ministers have been created, and the legislative assembly has been empowered to legislative on 61 subjects of public interests.
The government believes in the supremacy of the Parliament, as it represents the will of the people. Since 2008, the government has brought all its initiatives and issues of national importance to the elected houses for debate, guidance and approval. The National Assembly passed 34 laws against 19 by the previous assembly, during its first two years.
Restoration of the judiciary was only the first step of the government in a long journey to protect and promote an independent judiciary to provide prompt and inexpensive justice to the people and to restore their confidence in the system of criminal justice administration. Beginning with abolishing PEMRA 'black laws', introduced by the last authoritarian regime in November 2007, the government encouraged democratic dissent of media, despite some ethical causalities. Instead of going for any 'content policing', the government mobilised the media to introduce a voluntary code of conduct, and encouraged self-regulation by media industry, working journalists and media organisations.
The government achieved its foreign policy objectives by making assertive efforts to strike equilibrium of power - bilaterally, regionally and globally. With unprecedented successes in its fight against terrorism achieved during the last two years, today the government is demanding of the international community to 'do more' for Pakistan instead. It has made it clear to the international community that Pakistan is willing and sincerely desirous to establish regional peace and co-operation with all its neighbours.
Democracy has now galvanised elected representatives to legislate with a vision and a vigour that has come second only to performance of first directly elected Parliament of 1972-1977. It is cleansing the Constitution of all dictatorial insertions and distortions, through a national consensus, restored the independence and integrity of the judiciary is bringing estranged friends in Balochistan back to national-fold through recognition, reconciliation, and restorative justice, is giving people of Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber-Pakhtoonkhwa identities of their own.
The government is doubling price of farmers' produce so that they can also afford education for their children, protecting women at their homes, outside, and at places of work; empowering them to take control of their family's resources, is restoring workers rights, bringing back those who were thrown out of work, ensuring continuation of work for others, giving unprecedented freedom of expression, while also respecting and patiently tolerating dissent. Gender bias and women's vulnerability in our society safety network has led to the creation of the BISP to provide cash assistance directly and regularly to needy women and their families. Pursuing its policy agenda of promoting economic liberalisation that also gives social equity to the underprivileged, the government has introduced BESOS to make the workers stakeholders in their organisation's growth and development.
Democracy is delivering all of this and more because it knows that giving due rights is not a favour. The consolidation of the Federation and its progress lies in principled will of a democratic government to give due rights to all who live within its folds. Democracy works with all and for everyone.
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani commended the Information Ministry for publishing a comprehensive book on the government's two years' performance. The government is open to suggestions for welfare of public to further improve its performance. However, it does not believe in only relying on its laurels, and is making earnest efforts to bring peace and prosperity in the country. Every effort is being made to enhance access to information in a free and transparent manner in accordance with the directives of Prime Minister Gilani and this report is one such step.