Is Pakistan better off or worse off than what it was in 2008? This should be asked of the people of this country.
ISLAMABAD: Because of continuous distortion of our history, the truth is often hard to see. To separate fact from fiction I have answered some questions myself, in the hope that readers may find them somewhat useful: 1) Is President Asif Ali Zardari the real guardian of Bhutto’s legacy? No — because his mind is focused on power rather than principles. 2) Has the government completed its term? No. Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf heads the second government after the 2008 elections. 3) Has parliament completed its term? Yes — provided the present parliament transfers power to its successor through a fair election in a peaceful manner. 4) Have politicians learnt lessons from the past? No — Nawaz Sharif is perhaps the only politician who has. 5) Does the government respect the Supreme Court? No — while the government repeatedly says that it respects the judiciary, its actions suggest otherwise. 6) Will the next elections be free and fair? That seems unlikely. 7) Is Pakistan better off or worse off than what it was in 2008? This question should be asked of the people of this country who know the correct answer.
BA Malik
Published in The Express Tribune, December 26th, 2012.
