Better late than never. President Asif Zardari took some time to reply to the letter written by Mian Nawaz Sharif a little more than a month ago in a bid to re-engage the PML(N) at a time when the PPP government was facing trouble from some of its coalition partners.
If Mian Nawazs letter put across a critical review of the federal governments overall performance since assuming power, the Presidents was a simple lets-bury-the-past-and-be-friends-again response. But both sides appear to have a mutual feeling: Its time to put an end to the recurrent blackmailing of smaller parties, counter behind-the-scenes manoeuvring and work together to pull the country out of the crises it has been facing.
More than two years in presidency, Mr Zardari did his best to take all political forces on board in line with his slain wifes philosophy of reconciliation, even by according them more share in government than they deserve and not getting impatient on being accused of indulging in political expediency. But what about those claiming the moral high ground who embraced political turncoats at their Raiwind Palace or rushed to seek support of the Chaudhrys of Gujrat after the imposition of Governors Rule in Punjab last year.
If the PPP stopped pursuing the politics of reconciliation and inclusion, the PML(N) also cannot escape the blame for pushing it to that point. The two parties shared a common struggle for democracy in the recent past and it was manifest in the Charter of Democracy signed by their top leadership in exile. Even though the PML(N) pulled out of the coalition at the Centre at a very early stage, the spirit of collaboration was reflected in some major accomplishments of the current democratic dispensation. That includes the restoration of the constitution to its original shape, the empowerment of the provinces and the grant of political representation to the people of Gilgit-Baltistan.
An important point was articulated by Senator Ishaq Dar that the PPP leadership should acknowledge the role of other mainstream political parties while claiming credit for these landmark achievements. Granted. But then what would he say about PML(N)s enfant terrible Ch Nisar Ali Khan who spares no moment to attack the federal government and accuse the President and PPPs top brass of patronising corruption. And you cant expect a word of appreciation from him even when the government and the opposition make a collective effort to establish the supremacy of parliament. After the National Assembly passed the 19thConstitutional Amendment, he quietly disappeared from the House, leaving it to Ahsan Iqbal to do the unpleasant job.
Theres no doubt that Mian Nawaz adopted a harsh tone in his letter to President Zardari about the ongoing state of affairs but put his blow-hot-and-cold relationship with the PPP to rest soon after the JUI(F)s angry exit from the coalition. The message was loud and clear that the PML(N) would not become part of any undemocratic and unconstitutional move aimed at overthrowing the democratically elected regime. The gesture was duly reciprocated by the President who praised the PML(N) Chief for extending cooperation to the PPP in effectively dealing with the multifaceted crises. He did not mince his words in admitting the difficulties his government had to face in addressing some major challenges facing the country after the PML(Ns) departure from coalition at the centre.
The letter was too carefully drafted to mention the gross financial indiscipline in Punjab without giving much offence to its custodians. It goes like this: I share your keen desire for a more transparent economy.. (but) I hope you recall that our efforts to contain fiscal deficit were stalled in FY 2008-09 when the Punjab government resorted to excessive borrowing from the State Bank. In a spirit of cooperation, our government condoned this lapse and converted the temporary borrowing into a long-term loan to ease the fiscal pressures of the Punjab government. It was a timely reminder to the Punjab government to do some soul-searching before raking muck on others. Probably thats the only point which was slightly inconsistent with the overall positive tone of the letter.
President Zardari has very rightly pointed out that the people expect the PPP and the PML(N) to put national interests above partisan ones and they also want their top leaders to act as statesmen and work together. And theres no disputing his observation that the political leadership is not only answerable to the citizens of Pakistan but also to history. Giving expression to public sentiment is one thing but taking practical steps to fulfill the aspirations of the masses for a better future is quite another. Thats precisely what is missing. Its good to see the two erstwhile allies redeem their pledge to work together. But they are still a long way from delivering on their campaign promises.
The writer is Executive Editor, Pakistan Today.
