I was flying today from Islamabad to London when a
Pakistani-British young man, after a very polite greeting to me, sat beside me
on a vacant seat and directly asked me as to why there is such a mess in
Pakistan and why we are a direction-less nation? He expressed his grave concern
about the on going political and economic situation in the country stating “We
‘overseas’ Pakistani are very worried about our home land”. I tried to explain
but he was not satisfied with the on going situation.
He left but his discussion and concerns about the situation
in Pakistan shook me up. He made me seriously ponder the question that are we
as a nation really direction-less and why? In order to answer this question one
needs to look back at the political history of the country since its
independence The answer lies in the objective analysis of the power struggle
between political and non-political forces. This power struggle landed the
country not only into political polarisation but also into economic/financial
dependence on the international financial institutions, which are mainly
controlled by USA and Europe.
A cursory glance of the political/democratic history of the
country would explain as to how Pakistan plunged into political polarisation.
This polarisation ultimately weakened the successive civilian governments and
the institutions to the extent that those governments were more concerned about
their survival rather than pointing the country into any direction, which could
lead to the prosperity.
Mr. Liaquat Ali Khan took his office as the first Prime
Minister on 14 August 1947 but was publically assassinated on 16 October 1951,
being in office only for4 Years, 2 months & 2 days. Subsequently, Sir
Khawaja Nazimuddin was elected as the Prime Minister on 17 October 1951 but his
government was dismissed by the then Governor General Ghulam Muhammad on 17
April 1953 lasting his office for only 1 Year, 6 months. Mr. Muhammad Ali Bogra
replaced him on 17 April 1953 but again the Governor General dismissed his
government on 12 August 1955 and he remained in office for only 2 Years, 3
months & 26 days. Then Mr. Muhammad Ali was elected as Prime Minister on 12
August 1955 but he fell victim of a No Confidence vote by his own political
party on 12 September 1956, being in office for only 1 Year 1 month. Mr. Huseyn
Shaheed Suhrawardy took the office of Prime Minister on 12 September 1956 but
resigned on 17 October 1957, after having lost his control over his own party
and the coalition party in the parliament. He remained in the office for only 1
Year, 1 Months & 5 days. Then Mr. Ibrahim Ismail Chundrigar became the
Prime Minister on 17 October 1957 but he lost the confidence of the House on 16
December 1957 after 1 Month, 29 days being in the office. Sir Feroz Khan Noon
then became the Prime Minister on 16 December 1957 but after just 9 months and
21 days in the office, his own party’s President declared martial law on 7
October 1958.
After a gap of around 13 years, Mr. Nurul Amin took the
office of Vice President under Yahya Khan on 7 December 1971 till 20 December
1971, for about 13 days, when ware broke out between Pakistan and India leading
to the creation of Bangladesh. On 20 December 1971, Mr. Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto
first took over the office of the President, as there was no constitution as
well as the parliamentary form of government, till 14 August 1973 when he,
after promulgation of Constitution of 1973, he resigned and took the office of
the Prime Minister – first directly democratically elected Prime Minister. He
was in office for 3 years, 10 months and 21 days when on 5 July 1977 his
government was toppled by the then Army Chief. The country remained under
martial law and under the reign of Gen. Ziaul Haq till 24 March 1985, when Mr.
Muhammad Khan Junejo was elected as Prime Minister. He remained in office for 3
years, 2 months and 5 days when the President dismissed his government by
exercising his powers under 18th Amendment in the Constitution.
Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto was the first Muslim lady elected as Prime Minister on 2 December 1988 but the then President by invoking his powers under Article 58(2)(b) of the Constitution, dismissed his government on 6 August 1990, just after 1 Year, 8 Months and 4 days being in office, on the allegations of corruption, which were never proved. Mr. Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi was then installed as caretaker Prime Minister on 6 August 1990 till 6 November 1990 when new Prime Minister was elected.
Mr. Nawaz Sharif was elected as Prime Minister for the first
time on 6 November 1990 but on 18 April 1993, the then President of Pakistan
dismissed his government after being in office for only 2 Years, 5 Months, 12
Days. His government was, however, reinstated by the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
In the meantime, Mr. Balakh
Sher Baz Mazari acted as caretaker Prime Minister from 18
April 1993 to 26 May 1993, for only 1 Month and 8 Days. After reinstatement,
Mr. Nawaz Sharif remained Prime Minister from 26 May 1993 to 18 July 1993 for 1
Month and 22 Days, and resigned as a settlement to oust the President as well.
An unknown Pakistan-origin US national Mr. Moeen Ahmed
Qureshi was imported from USA to install as caretaker Prime Minister on 18 July
1993 till 19 October 1993. For 3 Months and 1 Day. Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto
again won majority seats in the National Assembly and was elected as Prime
Minister on 19 October 1993 when once again the then President of Pakistan
dismissed her government on 5 November 1996, just after 3 Years and 17 Days –
once against frivolous allegations of corruption, which were yet never been
proved.
After the dismissal of the government of Mohtarma Benazir
Bhutto, Malik Meraj Khalid was appointed as caretaker Prime Minister on 5
November 1996 till 17 February 1997 who remained in the office for 3 Months and
12 Days. The elections once again saw Mr. Nawaz Sharif to be elected as the
Prime Minister on 17 February 1997 till 12 October 1999, when Gen. Pervez
Musharraf toppled his government just after 2 Years, 7 Months and 25 Days.
Mr. Zafarullah Khan Jamali took oath of the office of Prime
Minister on 23 November 2002 when he resigned on 26 June 2004 just after 1
Year, 7 Months and 3 Days. Chaudhary Shujaat Hussain was, consequently, elected
as Prime Minister on 30 June 2004, for only 1 month & 27 days when he
resigned on 26 August 2004 to vacate the office for Mr. Shaukat Aziz. He was
elected as Prime Minister on 28 August 2004 and he resigned on 15 November 2007
after 3 Years, 2 Months and 18 Days, after completing his parliamentary tenure.
Then Mr. Muhammad Mian Soomro took over the office of caretaker Prime Minister
on 16 November 2007 till 24 March 2008.
When the PPP won the elections, Mr. Yousaf Raza Gillani was
elected as Prime Minister on 25 March 2008, who remained in the office till 19
June 2012 for 4 Years, 2 Months and 25 Days when the Supreme Court disqualified
him and he resigned. Consequently, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf took the office of the
Prime Minister on 22 June 2012 for 9 months and 2 days when he resigned on 24
March 2013, consequent to completion of parliamentary tenure. Mir Hazar Khan
Khoso then took office of caretaker Prime Minister on 25 March 2013 till 5 June
2013. Consequent to the victory in the general elections, Mr. Muhammad Nawaz
Sharif took the office of the Prime Minister for the third time on 5 June 2013
but the Supreme Court disqualified him on 28 July 2017, after 4 Years, 1 Month
and 23 days. Mr. Shahid Khaqan Abbasi is currently Prime Minister since 1
August 2017, in place of Mr. Nawaz Sharif.
We as Nation have to revisit our failures and success and
should sort out the grey areas and the reasons for having come to this
situation. Let us overview the timeline of the evolution of the democratic
institution such as the office of the heads of the governments throughout the
life of the country. Right since the day of our first Prime Minister to the
last one, we are led to believe that the office has been victim to
non-democratic forces. The heads of the governments were either shown the doors
through dismissal of their governments or through forced resignations.
It is matter of record that two prime ministers were publicly assassinated whereas the first democratically elected Prime Minister Mr. Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto was deposed by the non-democratic forces and then judicially murdered. One of the major services he had rendered for the national cause was the introduction of first consensus constitution in 1973.
These maneuvers led to political polarisations coupled with
corruptions in the society and drainage of national resources. The drainage of
national resources caused dependence on external financial resources to cope with
the national developments.
The fate meted out to the heads of the governments, amongst
other fallouts, also resulted in the weakening of the state institutions thus
rendering the nation without any specific direction. We were left without any
permanent foreign policy to protect our national interests. We were left to
look for external/foreign financial assistance and currently Pakistan is faced
with US$ 80 billion foreign debts. Pakistan has to secure more foreign
financial aid to service its existing external debts meaning we have to make
compromise on our own national priorities.
The major beneficiaries of the political polarisation in the
country were the mafias of all sorts, who had been manipulating the situation
in their own benefits. They had assumed the role of wheelers & dealers to
fix the election results to their advantage. Obviously, when the elections
results are fixed and a winner emerges out of the elections with the blessings of
these mafias, then the winner would have different priorities than the national
priorities.
The political situation has been marching toward uncertainty
and a fearful atmosphere for the last few weeks where crime has become
dominant, and the drug and land mafias have become more powerful than the
state. Electable politicians have become buyable commodities and the public
representatives are available in the “Political Mandi” for open auction
regulated by the mafia. Political activities have turned into a political Mafia
stock exchange. Most recently Imran Khan was, allegedly, offered RS 40 Corers for
a senator seat in KPK and the nation expected him to launch a FIR which if not
registered, puts his own party under questioning.
A country where the governments are made through the heavy
mandate of billions instead of heavy mandate of public, then we are bound to
meet with the same fate which we are exposed to today.
In view of above do we have any way to take the elections out
of this mafia where all of our provinces are directly affected with this deadly
infection? Yes. We can provide sincere election reforms to block the
exploitation of political differences by the mafias to their benefit/advantage.
We have to ensure fair, transparent and impartial elections and to offer
unflinching support to the democratic process in the country. It is the only option
if we are sincere with the future of the country.
What is happening to the country today is due to our own
failings and we including me are responsible for it. We have failed as
politicians, parliamentarian, bureaucrats, and members of the judiciary. We
have failed to play our due role in defining its directions and failed to work
to achieve the objectives. Our failures gave birth to the mafias and helped
strengthening their role in the politics. This time is not for when genuine
politician will be either eliminated from politics or forced to leave for being
unable to sustain themselves before the Mafias. Now the time is approaching
when a genuine politician will be obliged to say “NO to the post of Prime
Minister, as no person with conscience would like to carry out the agenda of
Mafias and subsequently get humiliated and land in jail.
The writer is a PPP Senator, former Interior Minister of Pakistan, and Chairman of think tank “Global Eye” and Senate Body on Interior and Narcotics.
The article was originally published in "The Nation" and the link is:
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