There is a need on the part of the PML(N) leadership to give serious consideration to the proposal made by Prime Minister Gilani to Mian Nawaz Sharif on Thursday. Gilani has proposed working together to rescue the nation from the crisis emanating from terrorism and economy. While the PPP and the PML(N) have parted company in Punjab, what must not be lost sight of is that Punjab cannot remain immune from the malaise afflicting the rest of the country. Mian Shahbaz Sharifs appeal to the terrorists last year to spare Punjab as the provincial government did not support US policies had gone unheeded and Punjab became the worst terrorism affected province after Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the tribal areas with terrorists striking at shrines, imam bargahs, places of worship, busy market areas and premises under security forces control, killing several hundred innocent people in the process. There is still no respite to these attacks. Unless there is an understanding between the mainstream parties on how to deal with the threat, it is simply not going to go away. Burying ones head in the sand would be of no use.
People in Punjab also suffer from the economic woes faced by the rest of the country. Inflation is not going to end by anything done by the Punjab government alone nor will the widespread unemployment and poverty. For this, there is a need for sound economic policies followed by successive governments over a fairly long period. Continuity of these policies, which is a key matter, cannot be ensured unless the mainstream parties jointly hammer the policies out, own and defend them in public and follow them religiously when in power. As things stand, there is a tendency in party leaders to play to the gallery instead of acting like responsible politicians. There is a tendency to take populist stands to debunk the government which is likely to strengthen as the election year 2013 draws near. This has already created a sense of uncertainty among the business community, some of whom have already started to invest abroad.
Rivalry between political parties is a natural phenomenon in democracies. This has to be kept, however, within reasonable limits. For this, hawks that do not see beyond their nose have to be restrained. It wont do to deny the existence of Punjabi Taliban as Punjab has unfortunately produced both the extremist leadership and foot soldiers fairly in excess of its population percentage. There is a need on the part of the mainstream parties to pool together their intellectual resources to jointly devise policies on economy, terrorism and important issues related to foreign relations. This will restore confidence among the investors while it will raise the prestige of these parties.
