|
Everyone wins in
Pakistan, and is talking to the other
Dilwala Singh
| |
Pre-poll and
post-poll, PPP was still stuck. Will sacked judges be
reinstated? Will Mush be sacked? Nawaz Sharif was clear from
day one, and clarity paid off. Asif Ali Zardari was
ambiguous even post-poll, and that cost the PPP heavily. |
|
 Pakistan election
results are, in the sub-continental version of English language, not
two-in-one, not three-in-one, but rather all-in-one. Even Uncle Sam
could not have chiselled out such a perfect verdict. Statistical
tables show that the cake can be cut in many ways and everyone can
have a piece, eat it too and take some home also.
Because who is bothered about the real stuff? Icing looks
democratic, and each can claim he had the best slice. Take
Generalissmo Mush. Suddenly, he stands acquitted of all charges of
rigging. The King is clean, and the King's party has some respect
left over from all the years in uniform. The world was trembling
with fear at what he might do, and independent poll observers even
boycotted the ballot exercise. As a result, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain
lost his seat in the National Assembly, but washed Mian Mush of the
blot.
As for the Pakistan Election Commission, expected to have been the
executer of the rigging plan, it gets a clean bill of democratic
health, and no one has to worry about its conscience any more. Mush
can claim the poll results to be a rejection of the extremists who
were his main undoing.
The Frontier saw a desire for change and went with the Awami
National Party and Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarian. The
bombers will perhaps drop a few more to tell Fronteirsmen that they
are there. Expect a coalition there.
In Sindh, in the wake of the election results, the PPP and the
Muttahida Qaumi Movement are under pressure to rise above their
differences for some kind of a working relationship. and it is
perhaps a possibility not as distant as it was in the year 1988.
Altaf Hussain’s post-poll reconciliatory message remained pasted on
the television screens to ensure that the PPP registers it. People
want the elusive stability as the PPP and MQM chart out their
post-poll strategies for Sindh.
The PPP has done reasonably well in Balochistan, but remember our
phrase -- All In One. So, the PML-Q has emerged on top. The PPP may
lead the anti-PML-Q group’s claim to power in this seriously
isolated and long smouldering province in the federation. Given the
rather low turnout – locally blamed on the sense of insecurity
rather than the poll boycott by the All Pakistan Democratic Alliance
— any coalition that takes charge in Quetta would be up against a
challenge from the word go.
c It
treats Balochistan as a remote place ruled by tribal chiefs. Lahore
must start paying attention to this now, since it is abuzz with
people who have come out in the open giving the Sharifs a position
to make such a huge impact on future developments.
The PML-N must grow in its role as an entity which cares for and
respects the smaller provinces just as it has shown the propensity
for reconciliation in its ties with PPP.
The huge PML-N gains in Punjab and its reasonably good showing in
parts of the Frontier are intrinsically tied to the party leaders’
reputation of being moderates. The Sharifs’ win surprised not only
the PML-Q but also the PPP which had to be content with a second
place in many of the constituencies it thought it had in its pocket.
The feeling is that while the PPP has obtained a large number of
seats in the national and provincial assembly in Punjab and has made
advances in all other provinces and at the centre, its showing in
the major cities of Punjab such as Rawalpindi, Faisalabad and
Gujranwala did not quite match public expectations.
Benazir can be tagged a martyr 10 times over but the much expected
sympathy vote in Punjab did not materialise. Many in the province
don’t consider the PPP safe enough, given its ‘enlightened’ label
and the heavy baggage of a past ‘tainted’ with corruption. There
continues to be a leadership vacuum and it needs to re-look at its
stance on crucial questions such as the restoration of the
judiciary.
On this count – being prominently represented in all five assemblies
-- the PPP never had it so good. The difficult part is how these
parties maintain a balance between the people’s anti-status quo
aspirations that have found such a strong expression in their vote
and the need to strike a compromise with the establishment. Things
would have been much easier had the patron of the PML-Q until the
eve of the election were to accept the verdict for what it is – a
rejection of his policies – and bow out gracefully. His continued
presence leaves parties eager to have a hold on power vulnerable to
deals with the establishment. It remains to be seen who bites first.
With so many groups to contend with and contain each other, the
choice really lies with the establishment. So, the establishments
also wins. Cries of Mush Should Go no more rang out. Talk of
coalitions is big. As we said, this election was All-In-One. Or
should we say, All In Won.
15 February 2008
|
Read Also