Head of PPP Media Cell
Chairman Bilawal Bhutto is in Lahore to give message, loud and clear, to the PPP Punjab leaders and workers to pull up socks and roll up sleeves and make a firm resolution to face the challenges with courage, confidence and continue struggle dedicated to deliver without fail. The present state of affairs in the province is not affordable and hence they have to put in double efforts to reclaim the political standing of the scale when province was known as the heartland of the PPP. The chairman is likely to give this mission to Punjab PPP during his extensive interactions with the party rank and file during his stay this time in Lahore. PPP workers and office bearers are determined not to disappoint their chairman who is the illustrious son of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto and grandson of Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. All their differences, regardless of their gravity, will sink in favour of unity when they will find their chairman among them.
The chairman’s address to the Lahore Bar on Monday will provide him an excellent opportunity to win the hearts and minds of the people of Punjab as he is expected to face the barrage of questions and his response will surely measure up to a leader who is an embodiment of leadership, courage, foresight and vision fully knowing the relationship between the problems facing the country and their comprehensive solutions. He is quite capable of capitalizing the occasion by dwelling on the issues in the diplomatic front as well, especially the situation in the Middle East in the context of Saudi-Iran conflict and prospects of India-Pakistan dialogue in the aftermaths of terrorist attack on Pathankot Airbase. The lingering conundrum between the federal government and the Sindh government over the Rangers powers and the bellicose of other federal agencies will also dominate the session.
Chairman Bilawal Bhutto in his address at Ghari Khuda Bux on December 27 has already declared that National Action Plan (NAP) should not be reduced to Party Action Plan designed against the PPP and its leaders. His words should have been given the utmost consideration by the prime minister since he was head of the second largest political party in the present political environment of the country. But, the mandarins’ indifference and silence since then suggested that they were not prepared to mend their ways and were surely treading on the trajectory to repeat the history of politics of ninety. They were still bogged down in politics of vendetta than vision. They would surely end up like those who shoot their feet with their own guns. Nothing is more dangerous and self-inflicting than repeating the history instead of inventing it. Co-Chairman Asef Ali Zardari has also recently pointed out to the dangerous tendency when he said, ‘selective accountability, sacred cow syndrome, double standards and using corruption for political social engineering are the worst type of corruption. It must be resisted’. The proclivity of the rulers would certainly nudge them hurtfully to the ill fate exemplifying the tales of hubris visiting yet again. The shenanigans of politics cannot be equated with constitutional politics. Without the adherence to the constitution, the rule of mob will take place leading to anarchy, chaos and lawlessness to the glee of anti-democratic forces and their patrons. The emergence of such situation will dilute all the democratic gains made so far. But, Co-Chairman made it clear recently in no uncertain terms that the PPP would not let it happen.
Unfortunately, the ongoing standoff between the Ministry of Interior and the Sindh government has been continuing to the utter disappointment of the people. Prime minister’s direction to the interior minister to visit Karachi and ensure the amicable resolution of the tension has not been materialised so far because the minister had not visited the metropolis and his tardiness suggested that he was not interested. Reasons best known to him the PPP had been legitimately resenting the interference of the federal agencies in the affairs of the Sindh government for being against the provincial autonomy given in the constitution after the 18th amendment. The juggernauts of Rangers, FIA and NAB had reduced the writ of the Sindh government to nothingness and indeed paralysed it because the senior officers had been working under the shadow of constant fear of incarceration. Most of them are on pre-arrest bail or have gone underground to save their skin from victimisation. Obviously, this state of affairs was not tenable and had to be confronted to address it either way. The prime minister would surely like to keep the Sindh government on his right side for obvious reasons. But, some highly placed personalities in the government seemingly have different agenda and therefore wanted the cauldron to keep boiling.
Chairman Bilawal Bhutto has made it abundantly clear in his speech that PPP leaders were being subject to harassment as false cases of corruption had been registered against them by the federal agencies. It may be mentioned here that the subject of corruption was not the mandate of the Rangers and their raiding the Sindh government offices was surely tantamount to transgression of their mandate. Shockingly, cases of terrorism were registered against PPP leaders and workers while brushing aside their continuing struggle against the evil of extremism and terrorism. They could not be terrorists or their facilitators. PPP had been consistent in its stance of taking on terrorists on their turf when PML-N and others were holding negotiations with terrorists. The witch-hunting of the PPP leaders and workers must stop because the country could not afford such confrontation when more pressing challenges posing existential threat were suffocating the state.
Hopefully, the better sense will prevail among the mandarins in Islamabad for following the policy of reconciliation in the largest interest of the continuity of democracy and indeed of federation. They must strive for win win situation because democratic forces cannot afford to lose the sight of democracy at the altar of their fixations. The spirit of Charter of Democracy clearly envisages avoiding the contemplation of destabilisation of each other governments. Such ham-fisted maneuvering for political engineering would nudge all of them to the brink of disaster shoving to political oblivion. The inevitability of this type of denouement is not difficult to imagine as both the parties had faced the ordeal during the watch of dictators. The political skirmishes between the government and the PPP must not assume the proportion of crescendo leading to point of no return. The plate of the country is already full with many grave problems and it cannot chew more. Major responsibility lies on the shoulders of federal government and more precisely on the prime minister.
Federation and federating units working relationship should be based on mutual trust and mutual respect instead of turning the guns to each other. Interior minister has become undesirable persona so far as PPP is concerned. The prime minister should intervene sooner than later and address the reservations of the PPP keeping in view the imperatives of smooth working relationship between the federal government and the Sindh government. The leveling of allegations back and forth by the federal ministers and the Sindh government will not bode well for the political system. Its currency will also cast aspersions on the politicians who should be much more responsible in matters of immense importance having implications on the political system and the country. Their squabbling will be a source of acute disappointment for the people who want smooth sailing between the federation and its units. People expect of their leaders responsible and matured conduct worthy of their stature as leaders.
Rana Sinaullha, Punjab Law Minister, has recently hit the nail on the head when he said that corruption was not the mandate of the Rangers and therefore it should not step in the area that would be deemed as trespassing by any criterion. Moreover, corruption is the provincial subject and the provincial authorities are entrusted with legal authority to deal with it. Creating bad blood between the Sindh government and the federation in the quest for ascendance at the expense of other is inimical. The immediate question that agitates the mind is as how the Punjab government will feel if Rangers, FIA or NAB raid the offices of LDA or the Excise Department of the Punjab government in Lahore. The writ of the Punjab government will dissipate summarily and the Punjab chief minister will cry foul at the top of his voice. It is therefore advised that the PML-N leadership should appreciate the reservations of the Sindh government and rectify the situation to the satisfaction of the provincial government. The step-motherly and discriminatory treatment cannot be helpful for creating enabling environment for the functioning democracy. Federal government’s whole focus should be to implement its national priorities like the execution of the National Action Plan meant to nip the evil of extremism and terrorism. The sacrifices rendered by our brave soldiers and the people deserve inevitable victory against the enemy whose hands are still fresh with the blood of innocent people and soldiers. They must be dispatched to the final abode of hell with collective efforts and actions emanating from the shared vision.
muhammadshaheedi@yahoo.com
