Where is Political Maturity?
By Sameer Shaharyar • Sep 25th, 2008 • Category: Politics, Worth A Second Look • 10 CommentsWell before the elections of 18th February, even before the gruesome assassination of two-time Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, there were very strong and tangible signs of political maturity in Pakistan, and that is what forced a military dictator to hold the elections in the country after an iron rule, and that is without any massive rigging.
The patch-up of Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif and then between Nawaz Sharif and Asif Ali Zardari before, during and after the elections also compelled army to review it’s rule in the politics and they got a new and much needed chance of getting themselves out of the drag politics and that is what the sagacity of the current chief of army staff, Gen Kayani did.
After the horrendous slaying of Benazir Bhutto, it was tempting for Nawaz Sharif to try and hijack the Pakistan People’s Party or to at least melt it down or worse strike a deal with establishment and come running to the power, but he has also seemed to learn many things, and he preferred to support the democratic process and it was evident in his practices. His role cannot be ignored in helping PPP to revive itself and to come in power and Zardari also owes largely to Nawaz Sharif that he is president today, which is yet another one of those queer things so routinely happen in Pakistan.
There were all signs of political maturity.
But then PPP got the whiff of the power and establishment took it’s hold back. PPP strengthened its rule in center and three provinces and started creating troubles for PML(N) in Punjab. The ruling party’s refusal to restore the judges by executive order prompted its coalition partner, the PML-N, to withdraw from government, a move that many say should have happened long before it did.
Now, once again we are at witnessing a bitter fight going on still behind the curtains in Punjab with Salman Taseer, Najaf Sial and Manzoor Wattoo trying their evil best to destabilize the Shahbaz Sharif government. PML(N) also resorting with heavy heart towards the forward bloc, and all that hopes are now quashing about political maturity.
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Lets face it, for the next 5 years, maturity or stupidity, federally PML-N has been reduced to a non-entity.
The first signs of this first emerged, when the younger brother had to fly to Dubai to meet AZ to resolve the agreed upon issue of the restoration of judiciary; our culture places our chota bhai in the warmest part of our heart , but one doesn’t take him too seriously ;especially where adults are talking, and we all know what transpired.
The older brother had to fly over to save face , regretfully, no results. This was the defining moment when PML-N should have parted company, a non-decision that will haunt NS for eternity.
Now if they truly, and sincerely believe that the present government has fulfilled all their pre-election promises, restoration of judiciary being the foremost , and that PPP is conducting itself in a democratic and accountable manner, then by all means play out your aspirations as an opposition party in an air of political maturity, and wait for the next general election.
Otherwise cut this umbilical cord, which was necessary to remove the dictator,but no more; move on, and show us all some maturity, not just political maturity, come what may.
Governor of Punjab Salman Taseer must exercise his powers and dismiss Shahbaz Sharif government in Punjab. Declare governor rule there. Both the Sharifs brothers along with their goons should be arrested and tried by the Courts of their own liking. Open the cases against the PML-Nawaz and its then Government and its then Prime Minister and the then Chief Minister of Punjab for all those ‘extra judicial murders’ of political activists all over the country, especialy in Sindh including Karachi. And I think Shabaz and Nawaz Sharif should be willing to let the law take its course, since they are such great supporters of ‘justice’ and ‘rule of law’. After all Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto was also tried for being an accomplice in a political murder and hanged as the Supreme Court decided . I think they must sacrifice themselves for their such great and admirable support for the rule of law. Would that not be fair?
Aftab, then why not Zardari, Altaf Hussain and rest of the lot should also be tried? So much suffocating “Bughz” you have again Sharifs.
People are basically worried that why Shahbaz Sharif is bringing things like Roti for Rs 2/-, Computerized Land data, Dismissing lazy and corrupt officers, making Autonomous body for Hospitals, speeding up projects to escape high cost of projects and many more.
We, the Punjabis selected them to work, as other city people are selecting their own representatives so it is better that they should see in their plates instead of throwing spits on others. If we will find problem from our elected representatives then we will change them. We have no problem at all from our CM… so others should not bother about our CM… They should bother about their own CM and PM only.
I will put it this way:
Our leaders - if you call them leaders - are those who share our hatred for others and not those who are leaders.
Talking about political maturity; one (zardari) is trying to strengthen his rule and other (sharif) is keeping an eye on next election. if, on one hand, zardari gives hard time to PMLN, then on the other hand PMLN does not miss a chance to blame PPP - both scoring points against each other.
to save the face in public, both zardari and sharif do not issue any direct statements against each other but direct other leaders of their parties to keep pressure on the rivals. e.g. Ch. Nisar Ali Khan has been so much critical of PPP lately while Salman Taseer is trying to keep Sharifs on toes in Punjab. neither Zardari checks on Taseer nor Sharif asks Nisar to get polite.
Innocent those are who believe that conflict on judges restoration was the reason to part ways.
check this: http://emmjay.wordpress.com/2008/08/28/coalitions-fall/
People who voted for the two parties, PML-N and PPP, should have known better. In my mind, the tried and tested failed politicians or political parties should have never been given another run at the government.
The PML-N is the who started horse trading in Punjab by reaching out to PML-Q members and shamelessly called it ‘Zameer Kee Awaaz’. The Punjab Lota politics at its best. How low you can go?
If Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto can be prosecuted and persecuted for an ‘alleged’ murder many years after the ’supposed’ murder he ‘ordered’ with dissenting bench of reduced (due to resignations)the Supreme Court then why not these criminals who have misused and abused their power and are responsible for eliminating so many innocent political activists through extra judicial murders. I am not talking about sending them to their final destination without giving them a real, clean, fair, unbiased trial in the court of their choice. What I recommended to Governor Taseer is his constitutional authority, it is his duty to rid the government of all criminal elements. Why is it unfair?
The problems is not what Saleem Bhai is bothered about or not; it is about the rule of law that he and all of you so greatly admire and support. A ciminal remains a criminal in the eyes of law until a fair trial takes place and there is a decision contradicting this fact.
By the way, Nawaz Sharif is a convicted terrorist in the plane highjack and attempted murder of the Chief of Army Staff and many innocent citizens (passengers) in that PIA flight on route to Karachi from Sri Lanka. Is it true or false?
How about the contemtuous attack on the Supreme Court of Pakistan in November 1997 and chasing the Chief Justice Syed Sajjad Ali Shah from his chair during a session of the Supreme Court of Pakistan. What about it? Do you think it serves the purpose to restore the honour of the Supreme Court, and the judiciary?
Please, read ‘CONTEMPTUOUS’ for misspelled word ‘contemtuous’ in the last paragraph above in # 7
Mr. Aftab, r u insane or what? Musharraf is the criminal who hijacked the country and not the Nawaz Sharif. And Sajjad Ali Shah was a blackmailer and was in the class of shameless people like Dogar. Dont give us a crap, and yes Farzana is right that you seem to have some personal grudge against Sharif family. Keep spitting on the moon.
Ms. Tirmizi, My lady! if speaking the truth is insanity then I am glad to be inflicted by this phenomenon. How does one hijack a country or for that matter anything while in the middle of being a victim to this outrageous evil itself ? Lets suppose, as you suggest, he did. Does his crime absolves your ‘eclipsed moon’ from his chronic crimes against humanity, the murders of political workers and activists in the name of police encounters while in so called custody ? That the Honourable Chief Justice Syed Sajjad Ali Shah “was a ‘blackmailer’” is an imagination which even your ‘that’ screwed up ‘moon’ could not conjure up. This is perversion!
Do I need to give you crap - I wonder why - you are full of it yourself. Yes, Farzana is right, indeed, I have grudges against not only Sharifs but all such pretenders and imposters who have been playing havoc with mycountry and my people. He is right now where he is and I do sincerely pray that God may keep him there till eternity and no one is going to miss him here. This way, perhaps, the nation would have one less heavey weight of crimes and corruption to carry. I don’t need to spit on the ‘moon’ - which is in total eclips anyways, for every Pharaoh there is a Moses, for this one Governor Salman Taseer (thank God also of the great city of Lahore) has been sent. You don’t have to agree with me as, hopefully, you can imagine for its worth.
Nice evening Madam Tirmizi.