Shaukat Aziz is our 23rd Prime Minister. Thank God we had democracy only for 28 years out of Pakistan's total life of 57 or else he would have been 53rd. India on the other hand had only 12 since independence. Either we do not have trustworthy and competent leaders or we are intolerant resorting to divorce (Talaq) at the drop of a hat. Patience and forbearance are not the virtues we are familiar with.
We do not wait to remove a Prime Minister by due process at the end of the term of office but expedite his (or her) departure in midstream. Very often the hatchet we use is a contrived constitutional weapon.
To begin at the beginning the founder of the nation Quaid-e-Azam chose Liaqat Ali Khan his tried and tested lieutenant in the struggle for Pakistan as the first Prime Minister and the country unanimously accepted him. He was doing a good job. But alas, the intrigues of some dissatisfied politicians led to his removal by assassination. It is our misfortune that till date we have not been able to identify and punish the party or person responsible for this heinous act.
Rolly polly Khwaja Nazimuddin from East Pakistan took over. He was a good man, a noble soul but not politically or administratively competent and did not last long. With over confident bureaucrat Ghulam Mohammad becoming self opinionated President, prime ministers were rotated in quick succession.
It was a game of musical chaires the participants being Bogra and Suharwardy of East Pakistan, Chaudhry Mohammad Ali, Chundrigar and Feroze Khan Noon from this side swayed in circles like the wooden horses on the Merry-Go-Round without going anywhere. With the imposition of Ayub's Martial Law followed by Yahya's rule the country was spared further political fistfights.
Separation of East Pakistan enabled Zulficar Ali Bhutto to consolidate his democratic power to become a dynamic and forceful Prime Minister. But he started having delusions of grandeur. His attempt to suppress all opposition ruthlessly misfired. General Zia-ul-Haq ousted him and hanged him consequent to a questionable judicial process.
The hoped for flowering of democracy was nipped in the bud. Bhutto had selected Zia - a docile General to head the armed forces. Zia in turn picked gentleman Junejo considered meek as prime minister to do his bidding. But Junejo was an honest and upright man. When he dared to differ on policy matters it was not acceptable to the dictator Zia and he utilised the newly acquired constitutional powers under section 58 (2) B to dismiss Junejo.
Zia had no intention of leaving too soon but fate took him away in an air crash making room for democracy to re-emerge. BB came to power intending to perpetuate Bhutto dynasty. She erred and faltered to become victim to the hatchet of 58 (2) B, this time used by president G.I.K to unseat her in the midstream. Zia's protégé Nawaz Shariff was brought to power by the military but met similar fate. He challenged the dismissal in Supreme Court, won the case and was restored to office only to be chopped down again. This time the army had intervened to bring about the simultaneous removal of feuding P.M. Sharif and President G.I.K BB once again got a chance to make amends. But it seems she had not learnt a lesson. She had managed to install her own man Farooque Leghari as president to neutralise 58 (2) B, but her spouse Zardari ran rampant like a bull in the China shop of Islamabad power corridors. Brother Leghari could not prevent himself banishing sister BB, Nawaz re-emerged. This time with a sizable majority and managed to remove the sword of Damocles through 13th constitutional amendment, so that he could complete his term of office. But it was not to be. Unwisely he took 'panga' with the armed forces, summarily dismissing Musharaff his own appointed COAS to seal his own and democracy's fate.
When Musharaff chose to give a chance to democracy he selected Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali as Prime-Minister. He was obedient but not competent and had to be fired. To spare him ignominy, he was made to resign to pave way for a better candidate. There were few on the horizon. But finally all eyes rested on a non-politician technocrat Shaukat Aziz. He had proved his competence as Finance Minister, turning around the economy.
He has a squeaky clean slate on the counts of corruption, no prejudices and educational background to deliver the goods. He could not be installed immediately in order to comply with constitutional requirements, (getting elected as a member of National Assembly.) Ch. Shujaat the kingmaker was therefore called upon to keep the seat warm for him for the intervening period of 2 months. Overcoming all the obstacles-including a terrorist attack to assassinate him at Attock, Shaukat Aziz is now entrenched as our latest Prime Minister. Hopefully he would remain firmly in office for two years until the next general elections are due. Let us wish him luck.
The tale would not be complete without mention of temporary prime ministers called "Care Takers". We had several from time to time, Mustafa Jatoi, Balakh Sher Mazari, Moin Qureshi and Mairaj Khalid. All expected to bask in limelight for 90 days. But Mazari had the dubious distinction of holding office only for 41 days, as against Shujaat's 62. Moin Qureshi stood out being Pakistani Vice President of World Bank who tried to change economic direction of Pakistan within the short period at his disposal but it was in vain.