The good governance for which “Tahir Square” reverberated last month is what the great silent majority of Pakistanis earnestly desire, a genuine grassroots democracy in place of the elaborate farce in place. Dr. Qadri surfed the public imagination by advocating this with his “Dharna” in Islamabad last month. Despite the moral merit of their plaints, the people’s aspirations have been frustrated at the primary altar for their grievances, the Supreme Court (SC). Leaning over backwards to adhere to “the rule of law”, their Lordships are mired in legal technicalities (with resultant delays). When the SC does in fact deliver, the govt engages in legal filibuster before outrightly refusing to implement the SC ruling. One has the greatest respect for their Lordships but the irony is that those disqualified by the SC ruling on NRO continue to rule us and loot the public till in the name of the Constitution despite the SC fretting and fuming ad nauseam. With the rule of law compromised, the democratic route of last resort for the people is to vent their frustrations in the streets. Those in power only succumb to such protest if it turns violent, that unfortunately risks extra-constitutional forces stepping in, ostensibly to restore law and order under the much reviled “Doctrine of Necessity”.
Hurdles created by both the Federal (PPP) and the Punjab Govt (PML (N)) notwithstanding, 20000 or so Qadri supporters were cheered along the entire GT Road by massive crowds, 100000 plus/minus finally assembling in Islamabad remained peaceful, as somebody commented “not a flower pot in Islamabad was broken.” It would be crass not to commend Dr. Qadri’s outstanding organization ability. Just consider the logistics, feeding so many people, tending to their medical and toilet necessities, etc, particularly womenfolk and children. The freezing rain on the third day was not something that even very hardy men can easily withstand, let alone old men, women and children. Even hard-bitten cynical observers came away impressed. Contrast the washout of the PML (N) sit-in before the EC in similar freezing rain. Dr. Qadri may not have a following in the same numbers as the major political parties but he has become a political catalyst of some substance by seizing the opportunity to raise some crucial and vital questions. A small but hardcore following in many of the Constituencies will certainly be of some benefit to whatever alliance he makes for the coming elections.
Badly needing the media publicity for mobilizing public support, the politician in Dr. Qadri deliberately reversed the legal process he should have followed in the first place. Indulging in pure rhetoric of purpose, Dr. Qadri may not have headed off a possible martial law (in “five minutes” as he claimed), but what would have happened if Imran Khan had taken up his invitation to join the “Dharna”? Itching to show off his Federal manhood on primetime TV, the likes of Rahman Malik would be a good enough trigger to turn the large peaceful gathering into a mob, mobs have a bad reputation of running amok, both by design and/or happenstance. With the freezing rain having its own fallout on his loyal following Dr Qadri desperately needed an “exit” strategy, needing to remove the “paralysis” in place in Islamabad the canny govt negotiators led by Ch Shujaat and Kaira gave him a face-saving measure, a vague promise for a 30-day process for EC “screening” of aspiring candidates once the elections were announced. The govt won big time out-maneuvering Qadri but his “screening” gambit opened up a legal Pandora’s Box. While SC has rightly questioned his “locus standi” as a Canadian citizen, does that negate the merits of his arguments? The SC is concentrating on the singer not the song. Does it take a Canadian to tell his Lordships that the good governance which the people of Pakistan are desperate for (and which should be the bedrock of the Constitution) exists on paper only. Justice may be blind, their Lordships are not! Unfortunately the people of Pakistan have been rendered deaf and dumb by their inaction in the face of hard reality.
Screening of potential legislators is a very important for the electoral process to have integrity, why wait for the election schedule to be announced? All those political parties must have completed intra-party polls otherwise they cannot take part in the elections, they can immediately put forward two or three likely candidates for the seats each of the parties will likely contest. The EC can get professional and independent neutral panels of State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) qualified auditors to verify data of all the candidates aspiring for (or holding) public office, including the President. It stands to reason that those who will possibly legislate the levying of taxes should be tax-payers themselves. Remember the slogan, “no taxation without representation”, how can the elected representatives be those who pay no taxes? Most present Parliamentarians, almost all of them likely candidates, will likely be disqualified if articles 62 and 63 are invoked correctly. PPP, PML (N), PML (Q) etc will never accept this, PTI, MQM, JI, JUI (F) will probably agree but their voice will be drowned in the cacophony that our blatantly feudal-supporting media will create. The democratic thought of our two major political parties can be gauged from their failure to get consensus about a genuinely neutral caretaker PM, these “democrats” want only someone who leans towards their party stance. The question arises, why?
Our ruling political leaders being sorry symbols for blatant nepotism and corruption, across the political spectrum we are also afflicted by their close associates lacking professional competence and/or the honesty and integrity that should buttress leaders aspiring for high public office. The focus of any democratic process must therefore not be only on the leader but on his aides. A man is known by the company he keeps, a leader is defined by the aides that surround him. All political leaders necessarily have the charlatan in them (because of the demands of their profession of politicking), however that cannot be at the expense of the State or the Govt. Anyone acquiring enormous amounts of money from the public till can spread a fair amount around to become master (or mistress) of the game. Look at the pathetic stance of our mostly bought over media, with illegal money clearly influencing the vote, what is the sanctity of the vote?
The end game will be prerogative of the SC, in the final analysis they will set the goal posts and create the level playing field for EC to conduct a transparent free and fair election. Are elections to be held pell-mell just because they are meant to be constitutionally within a certain period, or are we to hold elections as they are meant to be held according to the Constitution, not give mere proforma lip-service to it?
Whether we like it or not, we are again at a crossroads a month shy of ” The Ides of March”. The shadow of “the Doctrine of Necessity” may than be acceptable to the public as not only a self-serving truth but as a necessity, doctrine or not!
Courtesy: The News
