After the 18th February elections, PML (N) and PPP both agreed on the fact that in order to save the country it has to be governed by the people. They decided to adopt a new path, never practised in Pakistan before. It is the path of rule by the people through their elected representatives and making the pawns of the establishment submissive to the parliament.
This is how one opposition leader described the reasons and causes behind the historic `Murree Accord' between Zardari and Nawaz Sharif. Both leaders were once a victim of the civil and military bureaucracy and several meetings prior and after the elections helped them to resolve the major issues and differences among them.
The objective of both the leaders is the same as they agreed that they would continue to move forward in a governing union with minor differences being taken care of with mutual understanding and without embarrassing each other. While some critics believe that Nawaz Sharif was able to dictate his terms by making Asif Zardari accept restoration of judges and others say that Zardari dominated the former prime minister when Nawaz Sharif agreed to join the cabinet, both schools of thought ignored the fact that there were no losers in this accord.
Both the leaders were winners in the deal aimed at striking at the establishment. Both were clear in their minds of what is wrong and how it can be put right. And sticking together would be in favour of both of them.
In the past eight years of his rule, Musharraf supervised one of the most controversial and rigged referendum in his favour. A few months later he closely managed the most rigged elections in the country's history to help his supporters return to the parliament. In the five years, he made the parliament redundant and the Prime Minister a dummy. He changed laws and the constitution with a stroke of pen. All that time, he was, surrounded by a group of opportunists egging him on in every action. Under his leadership the Army and the presidency house has become a dark den of conspiracies.
They wanted to defeat the establishment and play the game for the people. But Sharif and Zardari were aware that they have won the elections with a thumping majority and if they have to survive, they will need the support of the voters and not the establishment. The Murree accord has set the ball rolling for the country's future politics but the mission is not accomplished as yet.
The problems facing the coalition government are enormous. The security situation, economic deprivation, power shortages, fuel prices, inflation stare back with a great threat. And these problems will be compounded when the dirty hands of establishment plays its game.
The establishment is not likely to accept defeat easily, therefore, it will make sure such hurdles are created that the coalition appears to be failing. Add to that, the efforts of the establishment to divide the two leaders, particularly, the PPP as they see the Amin Fahim factor dominating the politics within the party. Many issues will be created by the establishment to turn its defeat into victory. Asif Zardari and Nawaz Sharif need to tread the path carefully. Their watchful eyes need to look out for every dirty move by the establishment.