Consensus, not divisive politics please

Head of PPP media cell

PPP elected government led by former Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani optimised the practice of consensus politics in letter and spirit. The narrative emanated from the commitment of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto who was unequivocally convinced that “the policy of reconciliation” offered the best solution to the myriad complex problems facing the country. She was right as the subsequent historic achievements of PPP government vindicated her foresightedness. The dividends of this policy had been immense in the forms of 18th Amendment, 7th National Finance Award, resolution of the issue of the KP, special status to Gilgit/Baltistan, amendment in FCRs, promulgation of Political Parties Act in Fata, unprecedented legislation to protect the women folk and the minorities etc. There was not a single political prisoner. Above all, it was only due to this policy of reconciliation that the elected government not only completed its constitutional tenure but also held elections in 2013. Power was transferred to another Party with the extension of best wishes to complete the tenure alike. The fair minded people should ponder on this and make out their own honest assessment through the prism of empirical study of the government and politics of the country.

Pakistan has enough of divisive politics mostly wrapped in party politics’ ossifications driven by power politics narrative. This pattern of politics had hurt the country and the political system very badly. The whimsical and capricious usurpers took the advantage of the infighting of the politicians and imposed dictatorial rules in the country contrary to the aspirations of the people and the vision of the founders of the nation. They, founders, wanted Pakistan a democratic welfare state with equal rights to all citizens regardless of their creed, race, faith, gender or ethnicity. But, the nation was divided on purpose by the dictators to perpetuate their rule, their prime consideration, though their posturing as the guardian of the national interest was limitless. Their Himalayan blunders caused nightmares for the nation of terrified proportion. The nation had been grappling since then to extricate from the quagmire of their making but redemption seems difficult. But, it will surely come through after an arduous struggle spread over more than a decade, according to realistic estimates. Intelligence Bureau Chief Aftab Sultan recently pointed out this startling assessment while briefing the Senate Committee on Interior.

The sad incident in the Azad Kashmir in which one PPP workers was killed was the reminder of the fact that the old habits die hard. It was a condemnable incident that the PML-N workers clashed with the PPP workers leading to untoward situation as the army had to call in to control the situation. The minister information while expressing his regrets over the incident also made a worthwhile suggestion. He suggested that the ‘Code of Conduct’ should be formulated by the political parties that should regulate their political activities in public for creating enabling political environment. No one should deny the importance of the code of conduct and the political leaders should huddle together sooner than later to give it mutually agreed final shape. The petty skirmishes among the ideologues of the parties tend to burn the bridges built by the leadership of the respective political parties after hectic efforts and compromises. 

There is an acute need to promote consensus politics so critical to face the multiple-challenges posing existential threat to the country. For, a house or nation divided against itself cannot withstand the challenges of time. The sharp political cleavage among the political parties exacerbates the sorry state of affairs nudging it to drift to anarchy sadly to the glee of enemies of the country within and without. The inmates of this country justifiably expect of their leaders to conduct their political relations with other leaders in manners those frustrate the designs of the enemies. Their getting to each other throats weakened the country and strengthen the forces those are desperate to strike against the country to implement their toxic agenda. It is not a rocket science to fathom their agenda because it is totally against the state, the people, the country and its constitution. The political leadership must jettison the politics of gridlock and walk on the trajectory of compromises and reconciliation as the only way forward to bring about peace, prosperity, and tolerance to defeat the forces of bigotry, intolerance and fanaticism.

The revisiting of confrontational politics of nineties will precipitate the dawn of destabilisation preceded by its vicious cycle that will choke the national life with appalling scale. Politicians need to exhibit the vision of matching responsibility and utterly desist from spewing venom on each other because it is self-destructive and counter–productive in all possible directions. There is no democracy in the world that has flourished under the politics of duel unto the finish syndrome. Political skirmishes above the acceptable threshold will hold back the country to remain mired in parochialism and vendetta, a recipe of collection annihilation.

In this regard, we would like to emphasise the primacy of sustaining the working relationship between the federation and the provincial governments on even keel as a shared responsibility. The provincial governments should also stop short of casting aspersions among themselves for the same cherished reason. The federal government should exercise extreme restraint and respect their mandate without malice. The federal agencies must not be emboldened to step in the domains of the provincial governments in violation of the provincial autonomy. Pitting the provincial governments against each other orchestrated by the federal agencies badly hurt the interests of all. Make no mistake. The spirit of accommodation should override their relationship because the sincere display of this pattern is bound to facilitate in overcoming the chronic problems those have been visibly languishing in the body politics for so long. The stand-offs and unabated bickering will only complicate the issues. Politics of vision is required in the country not the politics of vendetta.

Currently, in the province of Sindh, the PPP leadership and the provincial government have been crying hoarse of the ingress of the federal agencies into the domain of the provincial autonomy by unleashing the frenzy of arresting its leaders and senior civil servants. It has created a bad blood between the federation and the provincial government. The provincial government has labeled the accountability as discriminatory because of its focus in the province to the exclusion of other provinces. This juggernaut is clearly violative of the provincial autonomy. The argument sounds convincing because the problems of the same nature and scale do exist in other provinces as well.

The Prime Minister intervened to minimise the collateral political damage. But still the provincial government is on the tenterhooks as the sword is still hanging on its head because there is no respite and the state of uncertainty is still swaying right across the province.

The Punjab chief minister did not allow the Rangers or other federal agencies to initiate operation in the province on the same lines as was underway in the province of Sindh. The question that immediately arises in the mind is as why the same level of activity is not initiated against corruption and terrorism in other provinces? These evils have their tentacles and sinews in other provinces too. There is no iota of doubt that proscribed organisations have found safe havens in Punjab to carry out their abhorrent terrorist activities in other parts of the country. Terrorism and corruption should be addressed even handedly so that drive is not taken with a pinch of salt. Discriminatory nature of the accountability is must for requisite credibility. Without credibility the whole process will be deemed as hoax filled with malafides.

In KP, the government has brought amendments in the Provincial Accountability Commission Act clipping the powers of the DG Commission pertaining to the arrests of the politicians and the senior bureaucrats. The leaders of the PML-N instead of unleashing the heartless assail on the PTI KP government should have desisted from the bellicose because the action of the government was within the ambit of the law. Let the media and TV channels indulge in spat of argument or counter-arguments to separate the chaff from the grain in the final analysis. The PML-N leaders and ministers should tread carefully in the interest of the democracy and smooth working relationship between the two governments.

Federal government should be seen as behaving like big brother more inclined to CBMs than point scoring and grand standing. The government will reap dividends of pleasing nature if it resorts to well-placed magnanimity towards the federating units. Similarly, the PTI leadership should exercise restraints in calling strikes and sit-ins with frequency for the sake of the same reason. It should also not accuse the government simply on the basis of criticism for criticism sake. The image of its leadership of always playing in the front foot is not tactically right all the times. This type of excessive politicking had already been disapproved by the people as a futile exercise leading to hurt its image to the frustration of the workers in particular.

muhammadshaheedi@yahoo.com