Bhuttos’ legacy to live on

The apprehension that the chairman Senate election, PPP supported, may weaken federation and democracy is ill-founded. To draw such hasty conclusion may give an impression of bias. On the contrary, the federation may get strengthened because for the first time the chairman of the Upper House has been elected from the god forsaken and backward province, Balochistan. The resultant feelings of elevation must have triggered a wave of exaltation among the Baloch people who had been languishing under the pile of neglect since long. The election of Mr Sadiq Sanjrani as Chairman Senate may help in addressing the long prevailing alienations of the people of the province, mainly political and economic. To prejudge it in negative light is unfair to the people of the province. It is also for the first time the focus of politics and media has shifted to the province that has lately assumed the status of centre of gravity of the country’s politics.

There is no denying the fact that the people of Balochistan are the most vulnerable people, and their crying to redress their grievances in the past was hardly answered by the policy planners sitting in Islamabad. The new chairman is expected of to use his powerful constitutional position help to mitigate the sufferings of the people by bringing about qualitative change comparable to other parts of the country. The prospects of people of Balochistan becoming as the equal stakeholders may be brightened up and the national rejuvenation may get impetus resultantly. The blowing of fresh breath of air across the province may persuade the dissident Balochs as well to come down from the mountains and join the mainstream national politics. This may well be within the realm of possibility for which enabling environment has been created. Casting aspersions in the aftermath of Senate elections may prove as disproportionate to the forthcoming good prognosis.

PPP will never let sun down on democracy no matter what because PPP and democracy are synonymous. The allegations of selling out of the PPP ideology and legacy are baseless. PPP and democracy are the two sides of the same coin. Its politics has been democratic through thick and thin with no patch of fumbling even during the extreme odds perpetrated by tyrant military rulers. PPP cannot be worthy of its existence if it abandons democracy as the corner stone of its underpinnings. The Party and its leadership throughout the history have proved impeccable credentials as a democratic force with unblemished record.

The critics may take deep breath and ponder over Party’s struggle for the restoration and its continuity and thereafter make out a fair assessment without wools on their eyes. They will surely draw the conclusion of PPP’s unequivocal commitment to the constitution and the constitutional rule. It is not possible to find a parallel when judged in the context of the Party’s steadfastness, perseverance and arduous struggle for people’s rule. It always came to power through vote. It never begged or manipulated insidiously to grab seat of power through undemocratic and unconstitutional means. Seeking power through the crutches of the anti-democratic forces is not the repute of the PPP but of its opponents. History bears witness to it. PPP stood and will always stand on the democratic side of the equation. Indeed, the recent concerns of the liberal, democratic and secular segments of the society is reflective of the popularity of the Party signifying the proximity of it with the vision of the founding fathers who wanted Pakistan a democratic, welfare and pluralistic state. PPP acknowledge their sentiments with assurance it will never disappoint them.

How PPP leaders, workers and supporters can contemplate to undermine the legacy of great Bhuttos -- Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and Shaheed Benazir Bhutto -- who sacrificed their lives while struggling against all odds unleashed by ferocious dictators, General Ziaul Haq and General Pervez Musharraf? The Bhuttos nurtured democracy with their blood and PPP would never ever conceive of compromising it in favour of anti-democratic forces as being maliciously aired. Its anatomy and chemistry is aligned with the people’s empowerment. It will be always ready not only opposing but resisting the juggernaut of such forces that tend to trample upon the rights of the citizenry and their aspirations. The cursory view of what the PPP leadership, past and present, did may substantiate what has been stated just now.

PPP gave the constitution to the nation, made Pakistan’s defence impregnable, introduced far reaching agriculture and labour reforms, established Steel Mills, restored parliamentary character of the constitution, and handed over presidential powers to Parliament thus removing the constantly hanging sword of 58(2)b on the elected governments. Above all, it never gave in to the forces of extremism and authoritarianism.

The PPP restored democracy by spearheading the struggle against ferocious successive dictatorships. The comparative appraisal may surely tilt the balance heavily in favour of the PPP as against other political parties in the country. The dividends of democracy today are largely attributed to the ultimate sacrifices rendered by the PPP top leadership and its workers. The critics may draw their conclusions with fair mind. Their judgment may not be at variance what has been stated above.

PPP top leaderships during their media talks have aptly dispelled the impression spread by the political opponents as democracy being pushed to the downhill as a result of the Senate chairman elections. Opposition Leader Khursheed Shah, Senator Raza Rabbani, Aitzaz Ahsan and others in their statements have expressed their resolve to prove worthy of the custodian of the legacy of the “ Great Bhuttos”. They were confident that the successful elections of the Senate had dissipated the apprehensions regarding the looming uncertainty of the holding of the forthcoming general elections later this year. Even the deposed prime minister expressed his confidence that elections would be held on time because constitution made it obligatory on the interim government and the Election Commission of Pakistan to hold free and impartial elections within the period of two months. After this, the rumor mongering may stop and focus may be shifted to get ready to contest elections those are equally critical as always for the health of democracy.

The PPP under the chairmanship of Bilawal Bhutto is getting ready to contest the forthcoming elections on the basis of the manifesto. The highlight of the manifesto will be roti, kapra aur makan as announced by the chairman himself. It means the focus of the Party election campaign will continue to be the poor people of the country who have suffered hugely during the watch of incumbent PML-N government -- as rich have become richer and poor poorer due to the wrong development strategy juxtaposed with erroneous priorities resulting in grotesque urban-rural imbalances. The farmers have been quite often on the streets protesting against the government that has miserably failed to ensure legitimate dividends of their blood, sweat and toil. It may be recalled the farmers were much better off during the previous PPP government because support prices of the agriculture produces were enforced keeping in view the benefits of the farmers instead of the hoarders whose notoriety of manipulating market forces was callously limitless. The institutional arrangements made by the PPP government comprehensively safeguarded the interests of the farmers in the face of the cartelisation of the hoarders.

The danger to democracy may not be from the PPP but from the political opponents who have been dangerously treading on the trajectory of inciting confrontation among the state institutions. This may pull the trigger to the collective chagrin of the nation and of the entire political leadership of the country. The political opponents may not tread on the self-annihilation path and instead help in creating enabling environment to the political developments in the country in orderly and adroit manners. The objective of the constitution cannot be achieved through sheer posturing and grandstanding because it is serious business that requires measurable rationality and equanimity.

The PML-N leader Javed Hashmi’s prediction of the strong possibility of no agreement on interim setup between the government and the Opposition may pave the way to the postponement of elections. The situation may not come to this pass. If it does, it may reflect poorly on the politicians of all spectrums who care less in exercising their constitutional privilege. The politicians may not vacate their constitutional space at the altar of their obstinacy. If the politicians continue to tread on the politics of belligerence and self-righteousness then they may be held responsible for the inevitable downside that certainly will not bode well for the democracy and for the federation as a snowball impact.

Democracy is all about walking on the tightrope in the spirit of cooperation. Macho- mentality is akin to cutting the ground underneath their own feet by their own doings. Tolerance, accommodation and peaceful co-existence may guide their political endeavours for attaining collective redemption as a cherished goal through functioning democracy.

The chief justice’s recent assurance that the apex court will ensure the holding of free, fair and impartial elections is indeed very satisfying to the nation. It will substantially augment the authority and prestige of the Election Commission of Pakistan for mobilising the requisite resources to make foolproof arrangements for undertaking the constitutional obligation to the entire satisfaction of all the stakeholders. The support of the apex court will surely stop those long and dirty hands from making mischief before and during the forthcoming elections. The credibility of the whole electoral process will be the singular distinction, so important to pre-empt the tide of allegations of rigging that had been grotesque phenomena in the past.

  muhammadshaheedi@yahoo.com