Head of PPP Media Cell
Parliament will be an exciting forum and indeed center of gravity when young and talented Chairman Bilawal Bhutto, and the one and only Asif Ali Zardari, Co-Chairman, will take seats in the National Assembly in the near future. Predictably, the street politics may be proportionally relegated to the periphery. The environment is bound to get energised in the House that has been inordinately missing with the exception of its commendable role to save democracy from the jaws of sit-in politics in 2013-2014.
Ironically, there is no dearth of people who have been on overdrive in churning out malicious stories in their bid to create wedge between the chairman and the co-chairman by projecting them as competitors. Their argument of overshadowing of the chairman by the co-chairman in the House is hugely misplaced. Their tainted wishes will not come true because both the chairman and the co-chairman are in complete harmony and understanding to rejuvenate the party as a dynamic political entity representing the aspirations of the poor people consisting labour, farmers, youth, women, minorities and above all the people who want to see Pakistan‘s resurrection as a democratic welfare state as per vision of the founders of the nation and the PPP.
The PPP leadership and its workers are committed to people’s politics that has been its hallmark since its inception. People know the credentials of PPP and its arduous struggle for the empowerment of the masses considered them as the ultimate stakeholders.
Democracy is an article of faith for the PPP and it stands committed to defend it no matter who is the beneficiary as opined by the former prime minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani. It may be mentioned here that the joint session of the Parliament was summoned by the baffled leader of the House on the advice of the PPP leadership to get the government out of woods. PPP was equally worried because political situation as obtaining then was wrought with dangers to the political system. PPP could not afford to be a bystander because democracy was a corner stone of its ideology and therefore non-negotiable. Democracy and its continuity was the PPP top priority. It made no bones when it declared unequivocally that unconstitutional political change would not only be opposed but also be resisted.
The firm determination of the PPP pulled the rug from underneath of the feet of the anti-democratic forces and their surreptitious proponents. The joint session took wind out of the sails of the sit-in politics. The nation took the sigh of relief because democracy was salvaged and the undertakers in the garb of saviors were exposed to the bones. They were despised for making the country a laughing stock globally. Their self-aggrandisement and haste met the ill-fate they asked for.
PPP chairman and the co-chairman’s joining the National Assembly will surely give it a pleasant and inspiring look with the promise to undertake parliamentary/legislative business with the matching zest during the rest of its term. So far, it is deemed as boring forum with negligible legislative business at its credit mainly because the prime minister occasionally attends the session of the Parliament and the parliamentarians shamefully follow their leader without compunction. But, no more, the top PPP leaders will generate extensive debates at the floor of the House on the issues of national importance and the treasury benches will have to respond to defend their policies in the full glare of public forums and the media. They cannot resort to shying away from for the compelling reasons of maintaining the public image and public opinion. Public opinion matters in democratic system to extend the lease of life of the government, and deny the same if it turns against. The government cannot afford to be complacent in this count.
The parliamentary forum will also provide an excellent opportunity to the Chairman Bilawal Bhutto to establish his mettle as the leader of the second largest political Party, the federal Party in the real sense. His education, training and political background and above all his total commitment may enable him to become an outstanding parliamentarian like he has emerged as the popular and charismatic leader during his public addresses at the mammoth public meetings.
The inevitability of debate on the four demands of the PPP is bound to warm up the House to benefit from the collective wisdom if treasury benches demonstrate the spirit of accommodation and are not carried away by their strength in the House. PPP four demands are induction of foreign minister, constitution of parliamentary committee on security, enactment of PPP bill as law on Panama Papers and implementation of the political consensus on CPEC.
Now, the PML-N leadership has to move forward pro-actively and sincerely followed by meaningful political initiatives to satisfy the opposition parties that may keep the political temperature normal. In this regard, the appointment of full-fledged foreign minister may set the tone in the right direction. Similarly, the setting up of parliamentary committee on security will bring the security policy under the scrutiny of the Parliament that will ensure its transparency while representing the people of Pakistan instead of the preferences of institution. The give and take may form the basis of Panama Papers bill moved by the PPP. It is obvious that the parties will contest their positions indefatigably before appreciating each other view point leading to much desired convergence. That is how parliamentary democracy functions and there is nothing unusual in such lengthy and fiery debates veering back and forth. At the end of the day, the parliamentarians know the art of possible. They find pathways out of labyrinth.
The chairman and the co-chairman are likely to put pressure on the government in the Parliament for the acceptance of four demands those are judged critical to get the country out of the vicious cycle of problems the country has been facing since long both at domestic and diplomatic fronts. The chairman has also announced that he would undertake an extensive tour of the country to popularise the four demands among the people that will put more pressure on the government to see redemption in accommodating the PPP view point on important public policy issues.
Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari is known for forging political consensus among the political forces of the country when vital national interest is at stake. He is likely to take up the challenge again to bring about broader understanding among the opposition political parties across all sort of differences with a view to force the government to jettison the politics based on obstinacy and vendetta and seek out co-operation of the opposition by accepting its demands in the largest interest of the country and the democracy. The parliamentary ethos may force the government not to be indifferent to the opposition concerns that are worth considering. It is quite possible that it may eventually engage the opposition to find out common ground to keep the politics on even keel, so important for maintaining the favourable political environment as a shared priority.
The PML-N and for that matter any democratic government cannot imagine to have smooth sailing in parliamentary democracy without the co-operation of the opposition no matter how big majority ruling party enjoys in the Parliament. Same is true in Pakistan today. The government task in the legislative process may become exceedingly difficult in the wake of political ground realities with the PPP having majority in the Senate. The PML-N political sagacity may suggest to the mandarins of keeping the opposition on its right side for warding off the onslaught of other political opponents determined to hurt the political system for the fulfillment of their trivial political ambitions at the expense of the aspirations of the people. They must be frustrated.
Better sense seems to have prevailed among the government circles. Realising the gravity of the situation, the PML-N government reportedly has given the task to JUI-F Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman to get in touch with the PPP leaders and others in a bid to create a propitious political environment and desist from indulging in political skirmishing. It is good thinking considering its indispensability for the continuity of the political system and political stability that have been rarity in cataclysmic political history of the country.
PTI, on the other hand, is likely to ramp up the confrontation if the Supreme Court does not give verdict of the party’s liking on Panama Papers or the apex court decides not to adjudicate on the matter in the face of political party’s insistence on self-righteousness, or any other reason the court may consider in its wisdom. In that case, it will vindicate the PPP position to the effect that the political issues should be resolved in the Parliament. Taking the political issues to the judicial forum will be detrimental to the stature of the Parliament being the mother of all institutions. There is likelihood of judicial forum becoming controversial if dragged in the political issues. This is dangerous and may not be pursued by the political parties.
Chairman Bilawal Bhutto and Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari are poised to play parliamentary role imbedded in vision, quality and rich experience of practical politics for the culmination of the mission of Pakistan Khappay envisaging a democratic welfare state with equal rights to all citizens regardless of their caste, race, creed, faith or gender.
muhammadshaheedi@yahoo.com
