London: After eight long years of living a roller-coaster life in exile Pakistan ’s only federal leader—Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto- returns home to be with her people. The masses see in her home coming hope for a qualitative change in their lives—from abysmal serfdom tied to abject poverty—to be arbiter of their destiny once again. They look forward to a change that will be harbinger of peace, tolerance and peaceful co-existence. She profoundly believes in Pakistan ‘s future viability, stability and security. And she is confident that by empowering the people and building political institutions, she can pick up the gauntlet to prove that the fundamental battle for the hearts and minds of a nation can be won only under a true democratic dispensation.
The issue of major concern confronting Pakistan today is the pitching of forces of moderation versus extremism. The resolution of this issue will affect the world, particularly South and Central Asia and all Muslim nations. She believes that extremism and obscurantism can flourish only in an environment where basic governmental social responsibility for the welfare of the people is neglected. Dictatorship that denies basic rights to the people create social hopelessness, ignite desperation that fuels religious extremism.
Pakistan ‘s 60-year history is a sprawling mosaic with huge dark patches of dictatorship punctuated with dotted hues of democracy. Pakistan has been through free elections to rigged elections to no elections. Never before in Pakistani polity has religious fundamentalism ever been a significant part of nation’s political awareness as now.
Inherently a liberal, centrist, moderate nation Pakistani people—by and large- have remained glued to the democratic ideals of the Founder Quaid-e-Azam Mohammed Ali Jinnah who had stoutly believed that his would not be a theocratic country where religion will not have anything to do with the business of the state. Historically, the religious parties have not received more than 11 percent of the vote in national elections. In the 1997 general elections while leader of one of the main religious parties—the Jamaat-i-Islami—Qazi Hussain Ahmad– preferred to flee from the polls rather be defeated by the electorate, the Secretary General of MMA—Maulana Fazlur Rahman—got less number of votes than a female film star who also lost as was the case with cricketer turned politician Imran Khan.
Despite a persistent subject of state persecution and prosecution since its inception, Pakistan Peoples Party under the leadership of Bhuttos, has remained the largest political party in Pakistan . And it is a matter of considerable satisfaction and pride for her that Pakistan ‘s political landscape has been tempered primarily by the moderate and liberal PPP, commanding strong and continuous support from the rural masses and the urban elite.
During Ms Bhutto’s two arbitrarily cut-short tenures of government—religious extremism had not raised its ugly and menacing head as blatantly as now. Since its tentacles have taken deeper roots to eliminate it totally will be a tall order but with the popular support that she has in the nook and corner of the country she will definitely succeed in containing extremism. She has done it in the past and she will do it again by mobilising the silent majority into action to stand up to fanaticism. Her primary mission for the historic homeward journey is to lead in the battle to save Pakistan .
We do not have many parallels in history to her life. Hers has been very unusual and enormously challenging—starting from the fact that being a woman she assumed the mantle of leadership in a predominantly male dominated society. She buried her father killed at age 50 and two brothers killed in the prime of their lives. She raised her three children as a single mother when her husband was arrested and held for eight years without a conviction — a hostage to her political career. She made her choice when the mantle of political leadership was thrust upon her shoulders after her father’s judicial murder. Ever since then she did not shrink from responsibility then, and as she herself says “I will not shrink from it now.”
Like her father Zulfikar Ali Bhutto she also has firm faith that it is the righteousness of her or his cause that makes a woman or man great.
Democracy is all about people. It teaches tolerance and co-existence. It fosters sharing of stakes. It makes responsibility sine quo non for rights. It harnesses the power of the people and resources of the state for the greatest good of the largest number. It encourages consensual understanding of socio-economic problems. It nourishes collective wisdom of the people to nurture ideas for the collective weal of the masses. It promotes dialogue as a means to a bigger end without confrontation. Confrontation leads to chaos and anarchy, causes implosions and civil wars—like of which Pakistan has today in some of its vital areas like South Waziristan and Baluchistan.
Like a correct politician she has always believed in a dialogue with her adversaries for resolving issues confronting the nation and threatening its very existence. One would recall here her participation in the Round Table Conference called by General Zia handpicked Prime Minister Mohammad Khan Junejo to seek consensus on the settlement of Afghan issue. The reason for engaging General Pervez Musharraf in recent talks was never been personal. It was to ensure that there be fair and free elections in Pakistan , to save democracy and the country from going down the road to be totally Talibanised. There could not be a greater proof of her innocence then the acknowledgement by General Musharraf that corruption charges against her were politically motivated as earlier accepted and regretted by former Prime Minister Mian Nawaz Sharif
The fight against extremism requires a national effort that can flow only from legitimate elections. Time and again it has been proved that within Pakistani intelligence and military apparatus are elements that sympathize and support religious extremists. If these elements are not answerable to Parliament and the elected government, the battle against religious militancy, a battle for the survival and future of Pakistan , could be lost. The military as an institution responsible for the defence and safeguarding territorial integrity of the country must be part of the battle against extremism, but as the six years since Sept. 11, 2001, have shown, the military cannot do it on its own—all alone. Rather, it has failed to stop the tribal areas from becoming havens for terrorists. The extremists are even spreading their tentacles into Pakistan ‘s cities.
Many issues remain unresolved in our political structure including distribution of power as per the Constitution of 1973 as of October 1999. Predominant among others that matter most can be resolved by responding to the people’s desire for legitimate parliamentary elections. Any foul play at the time of polls, any attempt at subverting people’s inalienable right to vote freely to elect their representatives would risk a fresh confrontation with the judiciary, the legal community and the political parties. Such a confrontation could lead to civil unrest and derailing of democratic marathon before it could reach the goal post. Civil unrest is what the extremists want. Anarchy and chaos suit them.
The political element in the ruling party—mostly sunshine patriots, summer soldiers and co-operative thugs— that presided over the rise of extremism has worked with every Pakistani administration since Ms Bhutto’s government was destabilized in 1996. Its members are blocking the democratic change by raising stumbling blocks on the eve of her return. The sea of popular affection and spontaneous support that have surfaced almost out of the blue to welcome her back home are a manifestation of the unshakeable commitment of the masses in Pakistan People’s Party and her leadership. PPP opponents in the government fear that democracy will be difficult to manipulate to the benefit of extremists and militants. Their panic in that way is justified.
Ms Bhutto and her party seek fair, free and impartial elections to be held by an independent election commission under an interim government of national consensus. She wants a level playing field for all candidates and parties. She rightly quotes words commonly attributed to Joseph Stalin, “Those who cast the vote decide nothing. Those who count the vote decide everything.” That’s why PPP has bee stressing for electoral reforms and international monitoring of polls.
Pakistani people have lot of faith in dynamics of change that are unleashed through elections. They believe that the forthcoming elections could bring about change of systems, change of programmes, and change from a climate of threat to one of stability and prosperity. They don’t want to see the sham of 2002 repeated again, resulting in an illegitimate government that has no mandate to govern and fails to give security of life or economic growth that can provide hope and opportunity to those unemployed or living on the margins of poverty.
Pakistan stands at a critical juncture– at the cross-road between democracy and dictatorship and between moderation and extremism. In its resolution lies not only the future of Pakistan , but also its ability to contain the spread of militancy and religious extremism which now threatens the territorial integrity of Pakistan .
w.hasan@virgin.net