There can be few countries in the world where a prime minister can be barred from office – yet so very little actually alter. In Pakistan, lurching from crisis to crisis, chaos is the only sort of normal anyone knows and Tuesday’s decision by the Supreme Court to disqualify Yousuf Raza Gilani means more of the same, according to The Daily Telegraph.
According to the Telegraph, Pakistan is a country that faces threats on every front. There are the al-Qaeda and Taliban gunmen who cross back and forth into Afghanistan, killing Pakistani soldiers and civilians in suicide attacks on one side and international troops on the other. The economy is in danger of collapsing if commodity prices weaken, while inflation rampages through family incomes. And with temperatures edging close to 50c it looks like we are in for a long, hot summer of power cuts. No wonder that Tuesday brought the third consecutive day of violent protests at electricity black-outs.
In short, there is plenty for Pakistan’s civilian government to get its teeth into.
But for most of this year what we call the governing coalition has been focused more on the “coalition” bit than the “governing” bit. This government – trying to become the first in Pakistan’s short, coup-riddled history to hand over power in a democratic transition – is locked in battle with the Supreme Court, which is intent either on ensuring Pakistan’s political leaders abide by the constitution or on destroying an administration it doesn’t like, depending on your point of view.
Whatever happens in Pakistan next, one thing is certain. This government will stumble and struggle on with its eyes fixed on elections due in the next six months or so. It will be focused on its own survival, which is bad news for Pakistan and not great for the rest of the world either.
Who will have time to fix relations with the US or at least work out a way to allow Nato supplies to resume? How about forcing through unpopular tax reforms to enable the country to invest in its crumbling infrastructure? Forget it.
One prime minister may have been ousted but the strategy will remain the same. Gilani’s successor will try to muddle on just the same as the last one by ignoring the big questions and focusing on keeping the coalition together. And the first thing in his inbox will not be flood defences, electricity generating or reform of the country’s shambolic tax structure, it will be an order from the Chief Justice asking him to re-open corruption proceedings against President Zardari – the very same issue that led Mr Gilani into his long-running court battle and eventually to disqualification.
And the whole sorry business will start all over again.
The Prime Minister may change but challenges remain the same
