Much is being said, written, talked about and indeed, speculated over the recent meeting of the president, prime minister and the army chief.
There is no doubt that the meeting was held at the behest of the PPP duo, Zardari and Gilani, with the army chief, is to dispel rumours of possible change of guards, at 'Disneyland - East', a.k.a Islamabad, and that the armed forces are on board with the government with regards to continuation of the current dispensation till it completes its tenure, or at least this was the assertion or impression given by the presidential spokesperson in the subsequent press release, widely reported in the domestic media.
The video of the above meeting of the troika, flashed over the national TV, was indeed an exercise in public relations, for whatever it was worth. The video coverage, showed the chatty PPP duo, smiling and nodding to each other, while the army chief was seen visibly uncomfortable and perhaps, embarrassed to some extent, at the thought of being manipulated, unwittingly aligned and used for the engineered public relation blitz, at his cost?
The nation has given enough time to the current clueless and inept coterie of rulers, who are just not willing to change their crooked ways. The cost, if any, of removing Zardari, will be far less than the cost the nation will ultimately pay if the current corrupt and incompetent government were to continue for the next two and a half years.
As for the misplaced apprehensions with regards to the use of the untenable Sindh Card and its possible fallout is concerned, an astute alternative government will be able to thwart any ensuing efforts to create chaos and mayhem. For all practical purposes, the Sindh Card is of no consequence, uncashable, especially after the horrific floods in the province and total failure of the PPP-led government to handle the situation deftly to alleviate the suffering of the flood affectees.
Under the circumstances, any of the alternatives, such as the Bangladesh model, the Kakar formula or a technocratic set-up, would be a better option than allowing the current corrupt dispensation to continue and to hold the nation hostage.
Whatever the change my be, it must ensure that the current dynastical political hierarchy, thriving solely on the basis of corruption and 'ownership' of their respective political entity, be it the PPP, PML-N, ANP or PML-Q, etc; is rendered completely, both financially and politically, incapacitated to survive or stage a future comeback. Elimination of dynastical politics is both imperative and a national compulsion for the survival of Pakistan as a stable country and a vibrant nation.
Amassing of illegally and illegitimately acquired money and assets through corrupt practices, by the dynastical political hierarchy, should form the reason and basis for such a rendition, enacted via constitutional amendment and promulgation of applicable law, to get rid of them for good. It is time to bite the bullet, effect a change of government now or face total collapse of the country as a governable and economically viable entity. Nothing could be worse than the current corrupt and incompetent set-up. Any time is a good time for a positive change. The time for a change is ripe because, if not now, then when, is the question!