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| Much goes to Gilani’s credit |
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Sunday, November 08, 2009
By S Rahman
There is much hue and cry about a number of issues like NRO, Charter of Democracy, parliamentary reforms and what not. And many political personalities are shooting into limelight on one account or the other. Some of them are taking credit for their so-called ‘principled standpoint’ or for ‘victory of their principles’. Take, for example, the credit being given to MQM chief, Altaf Hussain, for taking a principled position on the question of tabling NRO in the parliament. No doubt, that goes to Altaf Hussain’s credit to a great extent but how can we altogether overlook the excellent role played by Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani for the cause of strong and sustained democracy? And that role is not confined to just one issue or to a limited timeframe. It rather spans the entire period of Gilani’s premiership.
For sure, there is no reason to ignore the sincere endeavours of the prime minister who has worked incessantly from day one for keeping the parliament’s supremacy intact side by side with ensuring good working relationship with other political forces especially the spearhead of all sensitive moves namely the Mian Nawaz Sharif-led Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N).
Now what makes me describe such moves as sensitive moves. It is the sensitivity of the times that we are faced with at present. And this sensitivity has not originated only within our own political spectrum but it owes much to the international scene as well that has complicated our ambience to a highly dangerous level.
The task before the PM was almost next to impossible particularly that of acting like a bridge between all the political forces that matter in an atmosphere of ever-growing mistrust. And although this mistrust was a creation of some Opposition politicians at times, Gilani did not waver at any stage including the critical phases of national politics when analysts had started predicting an early dismantling of the incumbent democratic dispensation.
It was the PPP leadership that always showed flexibility and did never hesitate to compromise any of its original and declared positions. Gilani was in the forefront and is still in the forefront.
Now consider the case of restoration of judiciary that had become a tricky issue at one point of time. Opinions of different moulds had started dominating the national politics and if one were to go back to those days with complete background of currents and undercurrents, one would be left with no option other than praising Prime Minister Gilani for taking the bold initiative of restoring the judges through an unambiguous, forthright executive order.
Of course, the prime minister played the proactive role even during the times when he was being viewed as implementing the consensus decisions only. The consensus too could not be achieved had Gilani not worked painstakingly in dead earnest to keep all the key players on board.
Just a few days hence the PM would be holding yet another meeting with Mian Nawaz Sharif which goes to prove his oft-repeated declaration that both his party and government would never make any issue - including NRO - a matter of ego.
His statement given at the floor of National Assembly the other day is also reflective of his commitment to democratic system whose preservation Gilani considers his number one priority. And as the issues continue to be sorted out one after the other in rapid succession, the political horizon is getting clearer and yet clearer from dark clouds.
Now that the Zardari-Gilani dispensation has given full weight to the parliamentarians’ and politicians’ wishes who were opposed to the tabling of NRO in the parliament, the stage seems to be set for other ills saying goodbye in the foreseeable future.
Prime minister is on record having stated on the floor of the house that 17th Amendment and 58-2 (b) would soon go and that a balance would be struck between the powers of the president and the prime minister in accordance with the Constitution of Pakistan.
That’s of course good news. People trust Gilani who has sweat his blood to keep the government boat afloat by not giving other political heavyweights the slightest chance to rock the boat.
This thing he (the PM) has not done with some magic wand but with patience, perseverance and all-time willingness to accommodate opposite viewpoints and opinions even at the cost of PPP’s own original plans and programmes. What actions can be described as more democratic than accepting the Opposition’s different point of view wholeheartedly that too time and again?
Those who try to paint it as a defeat or weakness of PPP leadership are political spoilsports whose only business is to create mess through confusion and negative propagation.
Instead of lending support and strength to a party whose leaders did not hesitate to lay down their lives for the democratic cause and whose incumbent leaders have never hesitated to strengthen the democratic system at the cost of their wishes and preferences, these negative propagandists have embarked on a destructive track: destructive in the sense that it is muddying the waters and sending wrong signals to the masses at an extremely critical juncture of our existence.
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ISSN 1563-9479 
