The boiling political situation seems to be running out of steam – what with the minority government capitulating to the numbers-strong opposition and reversing the petroleum prices to those of October 31, 2010.
Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani announced this decision after a marathon session with the parliamentary leaders of all political parties. The majority prevailed. Though the economic managers of the government were opposed to withdrawing the increase in Petroleum, Oil and Lubricants (POL) prices, the prime minister had no choice but to take a political decision and engage all his opponents – one of the PML-N’s 12 demands also fulfilled.
But most of the prime minister’s detractors do not realize that his hands are tied as his know-it-all “boss” has taken over the economic management of the country and he is in the driving seat with his special secretary Salmaan Farooqi and Gilani’s principal secretary Nargis Sethi working in collaboration to lead and promote a group of sycophants in the bureaucracy. While the economy is going to the dogs, the presidential intervention and the Farooqi-Sethi nexus are playing havoc with the already sorry state of affairs. But who cares!
Not only that these two top bureaucrats have chosen the officers of their choice, they had also not consulted the top economic mangers before making the recent changes – Finance Minister Hafeez Sheikh did not know that Dr Waqar Masud, an all-time survivor, would be his secretary in place of Salmaan Siddique and Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission Nadeemul Haq was equally taken by surprise that Sohail Ahmed, the former chairman of Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), would assist him.
The prime minister, albeit for the time being, succeeded in handling the volatile situation. After he announced withdrawal of the recent increase in the POL prices, Leader of the Opposition Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan removed any doubts – if there were any – that the PML-N would move against him saying that Gilani represented “saner” elements in the government. But the JUI-F does not seem to have digested the sacking of its minister as Azam Khan Swati launched a loaded offensive against Gilani, whom he called the most corrupt prime minister the country had in its 63 years.
The 72-hour deadline the PML-N had set for the prime minister will start from tomorrow and chances are that both sides will take a middle ground to prevent a political crisis in the country. Though tragic and unfortunate, the assassination of Salmaan Taseer has offered the PPP and the PML-N a new opening to bury the hatchet. But it depends on President Asif Zardari. The selection of Salmaan Taseer’s successor will clearly reflect the PPP’s policy on the PML-N and determine the course of politics in the Punjab.
Cognizant of the fact that nothing is permanent nor final in politics, the prime minister is not putting all his eggs in the PML-N’s basket. Though his doors are now closed to the JUI-F after its tirade of corruption allegations against him, he still hopes to woo the MQM back into the government. The final make or break meeting will take place today. However, his choices are limited.
