Why Rabbani’s selection is a political milestone

Pakistani politicians once again showed political maturity by reaching consensus on the nomination of Senator Mian Raza Rabbani for the Senate chairman. There can’t be a better choice for this most important position after the president and the prime minister.
Credit for this goes to both the government and the opposition. It was certainly a master stoke of the PPP co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari, as the opposition led by him, retained the top slot of the Senate.
Rabbani’s name was in Zardari’s mind since the last Senate election when he nominated Nayyar Bokhari as the Senate chairman and faced stiff resistance from Rabbani. Thus, he accommodated him after seeing him in the last few years.
Rabbani didn’t create problems for Mr. Bokhari rather he helped him and also played an important role in legislation during the PPP government, the 18th Amendment and voted for 21st Amendment, though against his will.
Now, if the deputy chairman comes from Balochistan and consensus is reached on the JUI-F’s Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, it would be an interesting “left and right” combination, though many of our left wing friends don’t consider Rabbani as leftist. However, if this position goes to the nationalist partylike the BNP (M), it would be a good political move. The final decision is expected anytime, but the prime minister did the right thing by throwing the ball in the opposition’s camp.
It is good for democracy that the lower house of Parliament will remain with the government while the powerful upper house will be with the opposition. From the politics of reconciliation, initiated by Benazir Bhutto and followed by Zardari, we have now entered an era of politics of consensus.
The party that will suffer the most with this unanimous decision would be the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, while its ally Jamaat-e-Islami will support Raza Rabbani’s nomination.JI chief Senator-elect Sirajul Haq’s plea to nominate the PTI candidate as deputy chairman may be a good move, but it all depends on the PTI’s politics, which at present is going into isolation.
Therefore, if the PTI agrees to return to the National Assembly, there is nothing wrong in giving this slot to Imran Khan’s nominee. But, if all the parties have agreed that the deputy chairman should be from Balochistan, they should also seek the PTI’s support. It is better if both Nawaz Sharif and Asif Ali Zardari talk to Imran.
The PTI, with its six senators, should have taken a more mature political decision rather than boycotting the elections.However, at present both the government and the opposition are not keen to approach the PTI, which may not be the right move, though it could be a political one.
The question is why Raza Rabbani’s nomination is a political milestone in our uncertain political history? His views about the establishment, the United States, dictatorship and democracy are well-known and tested.
In normal circumstances, such a man doesn’t suit such quarters; therefore, it was not an easy decision for Zardari, knowing the views of his nominee. But, at the same time the PPP co-chairman also knows that he would not go against the party policy come what may. It did happen when the issue of 21st Amendment came and he took a strong view against the military courts.
I know Raza since the university days though he is much senior to me. He started his political career with an unknown student group, National Organization of Progressive Students (NOPS), which was formed by former law minister Abdul Hafeez Pirzada to counter the National Student Federation (NSF) in 1972. In those days the NSF had already split into pro-Soviet and pro-China camp.
Later, when Pirzada parted ways with the PPP, Raza did not go with him and stayed back in the PPP. He faced arrest and detention during 11 years of martial law and also played an important role in the Movement for Restoration of Democracy (MRD). He along with veteran politician BM. Kutty drafted many resolutions.
He never looked back and during the two previous PPP regimes under Benazir Bhutto, he got important portfolios, but even Benazir at times was not very comfortable with his strong views against the establishment.
Today, it’s like dream come true for Mr. Rabbani, but not before consensus of both the government and the opposition on his nomination. It’s a victory for democracy and message to many quarters.The writer is the senior analyst, columnist of GEO, The News and Jang.