Government-Army tussle widens

[Naveed Yaseen]

By Tahir Hasan Khan
Amidst the tussle between the elected regime and the Army, many in Sindh fear for the future of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP)-led democratic government. Many are pondering what action the establishment will take, and a section of political circles believe that a 1977-like situation is bound to be recreated. Others think that a repeat of 1999 might take place, as the establishment does not want to create another Bhutto.

The PPP rank and file are also worried with the current situation, and have blamed the close associates of President Asif Ali Zardari for misguiding him and creating this crisis. They believe that the close aides of the president are not loyal to him and have their own vested interests, leaving Zardari to face the music alone.

The president’s spokesperson, Farhatullah Babar, described the crisis as a conspiracy against the president and the democratic government. But who hatched this conspiracy? Farhatullah Babar blamed the media and some opponents of the president for creating a crisis, but this situation emerged only after the approval of Kerry-Lugar Bill – soon after Zardari’s visit to the US.

Though the president, prime minister and his cabinet members are defending this bill vociferously, why has the $1.5billion American aid been tied to stringent conditions? Such injunctions created an adverse impression in the country, and this created a crisis for the government.

There have been objections by political forces that the United States always provided financial aid to military dictators, but discontinued it the moment democratic governments rose to power. It is a matter of great shame to see how the US has trapped both our military and civil leadership with this aid. It clearly shows that we have learnt nothing from our past mistakes, and the country continues to be easily exploited by outsiders. This crisis has proved that there is no coordination and understanding between our national institutes – something responsible for past errors, including losing half of our country, or Pakistani involvement in Afghanistan against the Soviet Union.

Kerry-Lugar bill was made public more than two months ago, and the opposition parties were not happy with the conditions cited in the bill. The media too had been quite critical and there was a healthy debate going on about the clauses inserted in the Bill. After the statement issued by the Army, all discussions have ceased as people are scared of this hindrance in the development of the democratic way of dialogue.

Political observers point out that according to the Constitution and the latest decisions of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, the military has no right to usurp the constitutional rights of the people. However, the gap has been widening between the civilian and military rulers on this issue. The whole political scenario of the country has changed after a year and a half long relatively smooth time. For President Zardari, this is the biggest test of his administration as he was earlier enjoying absolute power, much like his predecessor.

Electricity crisis has made life tough for the citizens while the price hike and shortage of necessary commodities such as sugar and wheat is causing a great deal of hardship. The rate of unemployment is rising, while the law-and-order situation is out of control. Good governance and corruption free society still remains a dream, and the reaction against the PPP government on Kerry-Lugar bill proved that the establishment is very strong.

There is an indication that this situation can be exploited and used against the government. Allied parties such as Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Awami National Party (ANP), Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazal (JUI-F), Pir Pagara, Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi and Sindhi nationalist parties are not supporting government on this issue. Opposition parties, including Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q), Jamat-e-Islami (JI) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI), were already on the ground, protesting against the PPP government.

The Kerry-Lugar Bill has become a point around which all these opposition forces could unite, much like what happened in 1977 and 1990. The popularity graph of Army Chief General Kiyani is higher than both President Zardari and Nawaz Sharif while the might of the president, who started his regime as PPP Co-Chairman with the slogan of “Pakistan Khappay”, is now under serious threat.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=202817