The limited options of President Zardari, Is Countdown begins?

[brilTek]

The limited options of President Zardari​

As co-chairperson, he could hold genuine elections within the PPP so that the real potential of the party, people like Aitzaz Ahsan, Raza Rabbani, Sherry Rehman and many others get their due positions and bring back the lost credibility of the party in the eyes of the people.


WASHINGTON: If the past is any guide, as we now know that all previous political upheavals were carried out according to the secret scripts written by key players of our omnipotent establishment, the latest political developments tell us that the noose is tightening around our president and he has to decide quickly which option he has to exercise so that he can survive politically, financially and probably even physically.


This scenario is evident because the script was written sometime back and its glimpses were also leaked to parts of the media for assuring all those who were getting too upset with the status quo that things will change. There are now undeniable signs that the desired changes have started to surface in different shapes and forms.


The key engine of change was to be the restored Supreme Court and its level of activity is now touching a crescendo. It has already exonerated Mian Nawaz Sharif of all bogus charges and convictions forced by Gen (retd) Musharraf. It has begun the trial, or whatever it may be called in legal terms, of Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf and is all set to disqualify all the PCO judges who collaborated with Musharraf before and after Nov 3, 2007.


The chief justice has clearly said the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) will be taken up soon, an event which will become the focus of all national politics and the power equilibrium will change.

That means that if NRO beneficiaries are deprived of the political advantage they have enjoyed for several months, or a year or two, many of them may not even be able to stay in Pakistan or never come back to their country.

The PPP and its Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani have now started talking in exceptionally confident and aggressive terms, the latest statement made to Geo TV’s Hamid Mir stating categorically that he was ready to create history — which in other words suggests that he was about to stage a political and moral coup against his own party co-chairperson, Mr Zardari, because his government had turned into a joke and Mr Zardari, exercising all the powers, had failed to come up with any successful initiative or policy.


As part of the noose tightening, Mian Nawaz Sharif has refused to cooperate or bail out Mr Zardari any further after all the political cheating and beating that Mr Sharif was subjected to at the hands of Mr Zardari. President Zardari, who took over charge of the PPP, national politics and then the government, after the tragic death of Benazir Bhutto, has wasted his crucial 18 to 20 months in forcing his own distorted form of politics and governance. The late PPP leader knew his(zardari) capacity and that is probably the reason why Benazir Bhutto herself kept him away from politics and government after he was released by Gen Musharraf and allowed to leave Pakistan.

It is also now visible that Mr Zardari has now started to use his emotional cards, — the children of Benazir Bhutto, Bilawal, Bakhtawar and Asifa — as political crutches, to revive the fading fortunes of his own leadership and that of his party. This may be an indicator that he realises that his own strategy and tactics have not worked. He now thinks that the emotional appeal of Bilawal, Bakhtawar and Asifa can do something to save the sinking ship of his personal and private politics.

In such a grim scenario in which Nawaz Sharif has emerged as a better political player, the courts have regained the confidence to take up the highly sensitive cases of Musharraf, NRO and 17th Amendment, the prime minister has practically announced that he was no longer going to take dictation from the presidency. The US government, the IMF and the World Bank have almost refused to provide any cash aid or loan, as long as Mr Zardari was calling the shots, what options are left for the president to get out of this self-created mess? The consequences of the coming events are too grave and obvious.

If NRO is reopened and judged by the Supreme Court as a bad law, all the relief given to PPP leaders, sympathisers and even criminals in Karachi, will come to zero and a massive political exodus will begin, leaving little chance for Mr Zardari and his group of personal supporters to continue for long in their present positions. The PPP in Sindh will have to reopen cases against the MQM, in thousands, and that will undoubtedly bring Karachi and most of Sindh to a standstill, as the MQM and the PPP would again be pitched against each other or against the forces which may come into power.

If Musharraf’s actions of 2007 are declared as null and void, it would be the ultimate signal that the Army has stopped protecting the former president and that would mean all those who cut deals with Musharraf and derived huge political and other benefits will also be left on their own to find their own safe exits or safe havens. President Zardari has very few options, all not very appealing if his 18-month style of governance is any yardstick.

One or two may still save him from the humiliation and suffering, similar to the one he had to face after the second dismissal of Benazir Bhutto’s government in 1996. But Mr Zardari can begin by sincerely and quickly offering, without playing any games, an immediate repeal of the 17th Amendment and replacing it with a better 18th Amendment which may protect the good portions of the 17th and change the bad ones.

He can also let Prime Minister Gilani to take full charge, as the prime minister is now determined to do, whether Mr Zardari likes it or not. When Mr Gilani stands up, he will find himself surrounded by a lot of supporters, both with the PPP and other political forces in parliament, ensuring that despite Zardari’s ire, he would not be voted out. For Zardari, Premier Gilani may still be the best option because he would not only protect him from a 1996 type situation, he may even allow him to continue in the presidency and then look for a quiet and safe exit. As a master stroke, Zardari can quit the presidency and stay as the co-chairperson of the PPP, leaving the presidency for a senior, mature person who could act as the figurehead that the Constitution would require him to be.

His stature would then be partially restored. As a bonus he could himself sack all the cronies that have gathered around him, just because they served him in one capacity or another while he was in Musharraf’s jail. These faithful men and women have been very committed and dedicated to him but they have already been compensated and now need to go back to their professions. Stories of corruption led by these personal friends of the president are circulating in dozens and will become public as soon as the first crack appears in his political edifice.


From Pakistan Steel to PIA to Hashwani Group, KESC, power projects, PSO, French submarines, Chinese railway engines and a lot more, all these deals and decisions have a particular and a known stink which will pollute the atmosphere against the president in no time.

One sign that President Zardari knows where the situation is headed came two days back when he made a meaningful statement about fresh general elections. He reportedly said he would be the one who would preside over the new elections. That could mean anything but what is definite is that he sees fresh elections coming up on his political radar sooner than later.

If all of these options are not acceptable to Mr Zardari, then he should get ready for the inevitable, scripted scenario, which many have been predicting and which has now started to play out. It will take its time which may not be very generous in its span.

Lastly, I am often accused of writing only about President Zardari, but the fact is that his fate, and that of Pakistan, depends on what happens to him. I still consider him a good person and a friend but not now as a good politician. It may be too late for him to revive old confidence among his friends. I(writer) have refused to answer many phone calls that I have been getting from close confidants of Mr Zardari in the last few days — a sign that there is a lot of panic in the presidential cronies camp. Why, because the Zardari camp calls when they are in trouble and never when they are enjoying the goodies.

-(Source: The News)-

 

[Khalids]

Who is the writer by the way. An interesting article, though.

Pakistan is waiting for the day when a true democratic system rises on its sky.

Lazim hai k hum bhi dekhaiN gey

 

[Fracker]

Another hope for betterment, let see what happens.

 

[courageneverdies]

The limited options of President Zardari​

The News Article By Shaheen Sehbai July 23​

If the past is any guide, as we now know that all previous political upheavals were carried out according to the secret scripts written by key players of our omnipotent establishment.

Developments tell us that the noose is tightening around our president and he has to decide quickly which option he has to exercise so that he can survive politically, financially and probably even physically. This scenario is evident because the script was written sometime back and its glimpses were also leaked to parts of the media for assuring all those who were getting too upset with the status quo that things will change. There are now undeniable signs that the desired changes have started to surface in different shapes and forms.

The key engine of change was to be the restored Supreme Court and its level of activity is now touching a crescendo. It has already exonerated Mian Nawaz Sharif of all bogus charges and convictions forced by Gen (retd) Musharraf. It has begun the trial, or whatever it may be called in legal terms, of Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf and is all set to disqualify all the PCO judges who collaborated with Musharraf before and after Nov 3, 2007.

The chief justice has clearly said the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) will be taken up soon, an event which will become the focus of all national politics and the power equilibrium will change. That means that if NRO beneficiaries are deprived of the political advantage they have enjoyed for several months, or a year or two, many of them may not even be able to stay in Pakistan or never come back to their country.

The PPP and its Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani have now started talking in exceptionally confident and aggressive terms, the latest statement made to Geo TV’s Hamid Mir stating categorically that he was ready to create history — which in other words suggests that he was about to stage a political and moral coup against his own party co-chairperson, Mr Zardari, because his government had turned into a joke and Mr Zardari, exercising all the powers, had failed to come up with any successful initiative or policy.

As part of the noose tightening, Mian Nawaz Sharif has refused to cooperate or bail out Mr Zardari any further after all the political cheating and beating that Mr Sharif was subjected to at the hands of Mr Zardari.

President Zardari, who took over charge of the PPP, national politics and then the government, after the tragic death of Benazir Bhutto, has wasted his crucial 18 to 20 months in forcing his own distorted form of politics and governance. The late PPP leader knew his capacity and that is probably the reason why Benazir Bhutto herself kept him away from politics and government after he was released by Gen Musharraf and allowed to leave Pakistan.

It is also now visible that Mr Zardari has now started to use his emotional cards, — the children of Benazir Bhutto, Bilawal, Bakhtawar and Asifa — as political crutches, to revive the fading fortunes of his own leadership and that of his party. This may be an indicator that he realises that his own strategy and tactics have not worked. He now thinks that the emotional appeal of Bilawal, Bakhtawar and Asifa can do something to save the sinking ship of his personal and private politics.

In such a grim scenario in which Nawaz Sharif has emerged as a better political player, the courts have regained the confidence to take up the highly sensitive cases of Musharraf, NRO and 17th Amendment, the prime minister has practically announced that he was no longer going to take dictation from the presidency. The US government, the IMF and the World Bank have almost refused to provide any cash aid or loan, as long as Mr Zardari was calling the shots, what options are left for the president to get out of this self-created mess?

The consequences of the coming events are too grave and obvious. If NRO is reopened and judged by the Supreme Court as a bad law, all the relief given to PPP leaders, sympathisers and even criminals in Karachi, will come to zero and a massive political exodus will begin, leaving little chance for Mr Zardari and his group of personal supporters to continue for long in their present positions.

The PPP in Sindh will have to reopen cases against the MQM, in thousands, and that will undoubtedly bring Karachi and most of Sindh to a standstill, as the MQM and the PPP would again be pitched against each other or against the forces which may come into power.

If Musharraf’s actions of 2007 are declared as null and void, it would be the ultimate signal that the Army has stopped protecting the former president and that would mean all those who cut deals with Musharraf and derived huge political and other benefits will also be left on their own to find their own safe exits or safe havens.

President Zardari has very few options, all not very appealing if his 18-month style of governance is any yardstick. One or two may still save him from the humiliation and suffering, similar to the one he had to face after the second dismissal of Benazir Bhutto’s government in 1996.

But Mr Zardari can begin by sincerely and quickly offering, without playing any games, an immediate repeal of the 17th Amendment and replacing it with a better 18th Amendment which may protect the good portions of the 17th and change the bad ones.

He can also let Prime Minister Gilani to take full charge, as the prime minister is now determined to do, whether Mr Zardari likes it or not. When Mr Gilani stands up, he will find himself surrounded by a lot of supporters, both with the PPP and other political forces in parliament, ensuring that despite Zardari’s ire, he would not be voted out. For Zardari, Premier Gilani may still be the best option because he would not only protect him from a 1996 type situation, he may even allow him to continue in the presidency and then look for a quiet and safe exit.

As a master stroke, Zardari can quit the presidency and stay as the co-chairperson of the PPP, leaving the presidency for a senior, mature person who could act as the figurehead that the Constitution would require him to be. As co-chairperson, he could hold genuine elections within the PPP so that the real potential of the party, people like Aitzaz Ahsan, Raza Rabbani, Sherry Rehman and many others get their due positions and bring back the lost credibility of the party in the eyes of the people. His stature would then be partially restored.

As a bonus he could himself sack all the cronies that have gathered around him, just because they served him in one capacity or another while he was in Musharraf’s jail. These faithful men and women have been very committed and dedicated to him but they have already been compensated and now need to go back to their professions. Stories of corruption led by these personal friends of the president are circulating in dozens and will become public as soon as the first crack appears in his political edifice.

From Pakistan Steel to PIA to Hashwani Group, KESC, power projects, PSO, French submarines, Chinese railway engines and a lot more, all these deals and decisions have a particular and a known stink which will pollute the atmosphere against the president in no time.

One sign that President Zardari knows where the situation is headed came two days back when he made a meaningful statement about fresh general elections. He reportedly said he would be the one who would preside over the new elections. That could mean anything but what is definite is that he sees fresh elections coming up on his political radar sooner than later.

If all of these options are not acceptable to Mr Zardari, then he should get ready for the inevitable, scripted scenario, which many have been predicting and which has now started to play out. It will take its time which may not be very generous in its span.

Lastly, I am often accused of writing only about President Zardari, but the fact is that his fate, and that of Pakistan, depends on what happens to him. I still consider him a good person and a friend but not now as a good politician. It may be too late for him to revive old confidence among his friends. I have refused to answer many phone calls that I have been getting from close confidants of Mr Zardari in the last few days — a sign that there is a lot of panic in the presidential cronies camp. Why, because the Zardari camp calls when they are in trouble and never when they are enjoying the goodies.

---

KIT Over n Out

 

[ajpirzada]

gud read.

all depends of our judiciary. i hope they wont disappoint us

 

[brilTek]

No Capacity to Govern ​

By Ayesha Siddiqa
Friday, 24 Jul, 2009

Four seemingly different news items over the past 15 days or so caught my attention. Pertaining to the conduct of the civil bureaucracy and the government’s handling of it, these news items etched an interesting picture of the government’s capacity to deliver good governance.

The first dealt with the appointment of a DMG officer as ambassador to France. The second focused on the shelving of a madressah-reform programme conceived by the education ministry in 2002 and involving a budget of billions out of which the department was unable to spend more than Rs333m and reaching a little over 500 madressahs. Although the economic affairs division refutes the claim that the education ministry received any funding from the US to carry out madressah reforms, the source of money is a tactical matter. The more important issue is that a certain, critical objective was not achieved.


The third issue concerns the behaviour of Pakistan’s consul-general in Los Angeles who wasted the taxpayer’s money to travel from Los Angeles to San Francisco to welcome politician Babar Awan who was on a private visit. Finally, there was the story a BPS-20 officer dragging his boss to court alleging misconduct, something he himself was accused of. The officer apparently used high connections to have himself absolved in another matter.

How are these stories connected? Each case is a comment on why and how Pakistan suffers from a lack of capacity to deliver good governance. As I asked some senior bureaucrats whether the civil bureaucracy was capable of delivering services to the people one retorted: “If those who made sacrifices for Pakistan were to return today and be given another chance, they might not do it again.” Bitter, but very true!

Today, we do not have a system which can deliver good governance to the people although the country does not lack capable and well-trained bureaucrats. It is quite amusing to hear senior bureaucrats talk about how things were put right under their individual charge. One is always tempted to ask why the country is in such a condition if so many individuals were doing things right. Is good governance deliverable anymore when we have officers who render personal services to politicians at the taxpayer’s expense, or when there are officers who use links with top politicians to hide their misconduct?

Do we wonder why people in Pakistan are not keen to pay taxes? Why should they pay the government when they have absolutely no control over the allocation of resources? It is an open secret that despite being elected through popular ballot most politicians tend to serve their own interests or those of domestic and foreign power centres.

Any government that fails to demonstrate legitimacy in its actions will find it hard to convince the people to agree to pay taxes or declare their assets. The bureaucratic system is such that while there is no punishment for law evaders, there is no prize for those that honour the law either.

Focusing entirely on their individual acumen bureaucrats tend to disregard the argument that they suffer from an incapacity to deliver governance. Most senior civil servants are suave people who know how to conduct themselves in different environments. For instance, our diplomats have done quite well in competitive environments such as the UN. However, how can they be expected to perform when policymakers at the top are hell-bent on compromising national interests? Bureaucrats would rather lay the blame at the door of the political or military leadership.

Can civil servants really be blamed when there are flaws in policymaking? For instance, should one blame the bureaucrats when policymakers appoint the worst bureaucrats to oversee critical ministries like health and education, even agriculture? And how can the government be expected to carry out madressah reforms when there is a partnership between the PPP and the JUI-F at the top?

However, intellectuals such as Dr Mubashir Hasan argue otherwise. He is of the contention that it is the civil bureaucracy that rules the roost in Pakistan. Being one of the strongest institutions of the post-colonial state, civil bureaucrats are the ones that guide, or misguide, the political class. Indeed, there are many in Pakistan who believe that even sharp politicians like Bhutto were led astray after they fell foul of the bureaucrats.

Civil servants would challenge this contention. One of the arguments is that today’s politicians are not simpletons. In fact, those that manage technical ministries such as finance are quite well-trained and have input from multiple sources including multilateral aid donors and others.

However, the reality is that bureaucrats are as much stakeholders in the system as politicians. The country’s governance is poor because neither of these two key stakeholders (and others that are not discussed in this article) have the capacity to see the larger picture which includes the cost and benefit of any tactical move or strategic policy action. The civil servant, who said that no one would now be willing to sacrifice when others don’t, is not wrong.

The real problem is that the systems in Pakistan’s polity have completely come apart. Individuals want to outperform each other to score individually. Even the senior judiciary appears to have acquired a passion for publicity. There are no signs of building systems that deliver to the general public. So, no matter how tall the claims, the fact of the matter is that what we lack today are systems that can deliver and make brilliant individuals perform.

The blame for this absence must be pinned on the key stakeholders who are driven by their individual greed, resulting in the death of a viable system meant to deliver good governance.

Source: Dawn

 

[brilTek]

Who is the writer by the way. An interesting article, though.

Pakistan is waiting for the day when a true democratic system rises on its sky.

Lazim hai k hum bhi dekhaiN gey

Shaheen Sehbai, Link to article

 

[naziar]

It is unfortunate that our media always promoted anti- democratic powers.. The writer of the article” Mr. Shaheen Sehabi always promoted dictatorship, denied democratic powers and maligned the image of an elected President. I have heard that that Mr Sehbai wanted to be ambassador in us or Canada and when denied turned against the government. Perhaps this is the reason that his ever best choice is to write against Zardari.

 

[muse]

Mr. Sehbai's personal politics are far left of center and he escaped NAB by getting asylum in the US, he despises the army and in particular Mr. Musharraf - on the other hand, look who he writes for.

Either way, behind these mercenaries posing as journalists, you will find Nawaz.

 

[pak-marine]

so who have got next ? is it again crime master nawazs turn !!?

 

[muse]

That's they way it looks to me - I wish we could be rid of these criminals but if the game is criminal, all those who decide to play must be criminals.

Rules of politics informed by the national interest, this is still not an idea that has appeal among the political elite.

 

[pak-marine]

That's they way it looks to me - I wish we could be rid of these criminals but if the game is criminal, all those who decide to play must be criminals.

Rules of politics informed by the national interest, this is still not an idea that has appeal among the political elite.

u sayin 160 million people and its ok that their fate continues to lie in the hand of criminals as they have got this fun game goin on !!

 

[Bane Blade]

so who have got next ? is it again crime master nawazs turn !!?

here is what can be done why don't you take a stand today maybe then we can elect you to power things might even get better, Zardari is truly going to be the hunted if he calls for general elections so it is useless for him to do that it is upto Zardari to fix the trouble he has gotten us into, and he needs to show more definitive steps to make sure he can get re-elected.

 

[Fracker]

so who have got next ? is it again crime master nawazs turn !!?

Beauty of the implementation of corrupt system. System manipulate things, once a villain become the hero next time, and the one who is hero today next time he will be the villain. But one thing is for sure NS is less corrupt then zardari. But less evil didn't means No evil.

 

[araz]

That's they way it looks to me - I wish we could be rid of these criminals but if the game is criminal, all those who decide to play must be criminals.

Rules of politics informed by the national interest, this is still not an idea that has appeal among the political elite.

Muse
It must be understood that you will not have good governance overnight. I would even dare to say it will get even worse before it gets better.People need to learn that unless they use their votes wisely , they will not get wise people to govern them. We will need to wait and desist from interfering . The system will need to evolve and stabilize. the Supreme court event was probably the start of a cascade which i hope will eventually get us there. The public have always realized that if they dont react to bad decisions they will get stung in turn. The pressure from the m,***** has forced the government to move in the right direction. The amsses need to keep the pressure up.
Whatever one might say for and against musharraf, in one right step of appointing the current CJP he has made his mark on the history of pakistan.
Araz