Where lies the fault?

Lesson may be learnt by the political leadership after facing an allegedly mechanised electoral debacle in the Senate last week. The political astuteness demands that Machiavellian may be thwarted thoroughly by not letting them to continue to play on the both sides of the street to wreak havoc with the Constitution, the political system and democratic practices.

The political expediency and momentary political gains may be replaced by strict adherence to principled politics. They may desist from resorting to short term gains for the long term pains like they are undergoing now. The committed leaders and party workers may be assigned the leading role in the party hierarchy while others whose moral turpitudes are doubtful may be relegated to the secondary position till they prove their worth.

The award of party designations may be given to those whose political credentials are well known and well established rooted in firm moorings and political convictions. The rejection of the opposition motion in the Senate against the incumbent chairman of the House may leave no room for political expediencies like embracing the turn coats only to stab at the back when their solidarity and support is badly needed.

The ruling party laughing in the sleeves may be misplaced as their schadenfreude may be short lived. It may face the similar fate one day at the hands of those who are now masquerading as its frontrunners because they are known for selling their conscience without an iota of compunction. They may continue to repeat their insidious practice till such time they are not stigmatised and marginalised by the political parties and the civil society alike. Their past history clearly bears witness to their political flip flops that are both condemnable and contemptible.

The ruling party has been flooded in hordes by those who are notorious of worshipping one who occupies the seat of power. They may surely live up to their repute again by jumping the ship when deemed convenient to conflate with their parochial gains while leaving their erstwhile benefactors high and dry. They are generally driven by their whim and caprice, or at the winking of the nod of those who pulls the strings from behind. The political leadership may seriously and decisively pre-empt the horse trading in our political system by bringing far reaching reforms in the electoral procedures and internal introspection destined to curb despicable inclinations. They may not leave the field open for the crooks as their hunting ground. The jettison of the secret balloting in the Upper House may be taken as top priority to shut the doors of electoral manipulation by those who are unauthorised and are fond of ensuring the elections results reflecting their choice instead of the people.

The defeat of the opposition in ousting Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani, despite having comfortable majority spoke volume of the blatant application of the dystopian narrative of ends justify means. Explicitly implying the use of instruments of power may not be precluded. Who has turned the table against Opposition parties in the Senate just like that is the guessing game that has been flying thick and high since then right across. Ironically, the sordid revisiting of the political engineering in country’s politics remains the lingering menace that may cause further terrifying pitfalls to the country and its constitution because the undertakers’ narcissism is unforgiving and unrelenting. The PPP Leader Syed Khursheed Shah once commented that he was wondering as why the federation of Pakistan was getting weaker and weaker with the times. He was obviously referring to the unwarranted and illegal interference in the political system by the unauthorised entities catapulting political instability in perpetuity with cascade of predicaments impeding the country’s progress.

The allegations of unprecedented horse trading are swirling around yet again. Some are saying that the mountain of cash beckoned and the conscience of the 14 senators flew away through the window. But its veracity may be fraught with doubts because the fear of the national watchdog might have served as refraining effect on them not to take plunge due to the predictable reconciliation problems known as amassing assets beyond means. Then the finger is being pointed out to the powerful lobby but without evidences. It may be convenient to leave it to the imagination of the people as which instrument of power or lobby is obstreperous enough of ensuring ‘what is done is done’. The people are wise enough to reach to the truth that may not be difficult to arrive at under the circumstances. The voice of the people is deemed as divine’s proclamation.

Unfortunately, the day of the motion tabled to unseat the incumbent chairman of the Senate may be remembered as another “black day” in the political history of the country when minority prevailed upon the majority within no time in grave violation of the basic norms of democratic ethos. If minority undermines the majority in the Parliament the fecklessness nature of the political environment can surely be imagined without the shred of contradiction to the contrary. The virus of political criminality had been the vicious cycle of the chequered political history of this country with sporadic intervals of its less intensity. The perpetrators had been carrying out operations in different forms and manifestations at different times. The Senate shocking outcome may be deemed as the continuation of the same sordid practices. Pakistan may remain in a rut so long as the political system remains susceptible to the outside and illegal interference. Pakistan may only emerge as the civilized nation in the world if run under the constitutional rule. For the attainment of that much desired status worthy of country’s existence the state institutions may surely function within the ambits of the constitution. Their omissions and commissions equating with the incompatibility to the constitution may eschew away the country from the realising the respectable place in the international community.

Former president Asif Ali Zardari, murd-i-hur , a title given to him by late veteran Majeed Nizami, for bracing the witch–hunting perpetrated by General Musharraf, in particular. He faced it with bravery showing no sign of succumbing to the untold pressures of the dictator. He got himself exonerated through the courts. He is living up to his reputation even today as threat of withdrawing the entitled facilities in jail might not weaken his resolve to continue to resist the injustices as a courageous leader. He will surely prefer to face the case in the courts than caving in to the authoritarian forces those are out there to hurt democracy and the constitutional rule in this country.

His holding of the flag of the constitution and democracy above high begged all description of his deep rooted commitment for the federation, democracy and the constitution. He was the moving force behind the enactment of the 18th Amendment with consensus that guaranteed provincial autonomy to the federating units that included the financial autonomy also. His decision to hand over his powers to the Parliament made it powerful enough to underwrite the continuity of democracy in the country. His politics was politics of consensus as more than 90% bills tabled in the Parliament carried the prior consultation/support of all the political parties during the watch of the PPP government led by Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani. The democratic gains during this period were amazing by any stretch of imagination.

It is reported that co-chairman of PPP himself switched off his room AC that was indeed the befitting response to the prime minister’s threat hurled during his visit to the United States. How unfortunate on the part of prime minister to talk of withdrawing of the entitled facilities available to the opposition political leaders in a foreign country when he had much important things to dwell upon as prime minister of the country. It might have reflected poorly on his leadership’s stature.

These sufferings at the hands of authoritarian forces had been the distinctive trait of the PPP leadership throughout starting from Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and Shaheed Benazir Bhutto. The ordeal has not finished yet and is continuing even today at the hands of authoritarian forces and their proxies. But the anti-people forces could not break their will not to stand up to tyranny and authoritarian rule, and continued their struggle for the rights of the people according to the PPP ideology. The leadership succeeded then after arduous struggle and the incumbent leadership would also succeed because their politic is people’s politics not the politics of elite that builds castles on the ruins of the poor masses. Their tormentors had been relegated to the footnotes of history carrying the stigma of inflicting irreparable losses to the federation and its integrity. Their victims have become immortal and are remembered by the people who offer rich tributes to their contributions for the people and the country. The PPP struggle is continuing now under the leadership of Chairman Bilawal Bhutto and will continue till the time the people of all regions get their rights as guaranteed in the constitution.

muhammadshaheedi@yahoo.com