A work in progress

There is an emerging sense of maturity in the governance of Pakistan. It is all too easy to scoff at the political deficits, the foot-in-mouth moments that occur with depressing regularity, but there is also an indication that political groupings, and not only the ruling party, are moving out of the playpen and into a wider more grown-up world.

In no particular order — the decision to form a parliamentary commission to investigate the allegations made by ex-ambassador Haqqani may not ultimately get anywhere or reveal much, but the proposal had cross-party support even though there are obvious risks at least for the PPP. Also involving the PPP there is the matter of military courts. This newspaper remains adamantly opposed to military courts however they are dressed up, the point here being that the PML-N took on board the ‘Four Points’ that were drumheaded by the PPP and has also promised to address the grievances of the JUI-F and the JI in the final draft of the bill that is to go before parliament on March 20^th. If passed, the bill will become law and the courts will be reinstated as of March 21.

Both of the above may be cited as instances of governmental failure, but consensual politics, the agreement to disagree and a willingness on the part of the ruling party, to display some pragmatic flexibility is essential if the pervasive threat of terrorism is ever to be addressed. Hitherto terrorist groups could rely on governments to present a divided rather than a united front. The hand of the state was weakened, that of the terrorist groups emboldened as a result. Pakistan remains a long way from having a developed and functional national counter-terror policy. There are aspects of the National Action Plan (NAP) that have been indifferently pursued, again a weakness exploited by those dedicated to the overthrow of a democratic state. There are suspicions that there are elements of the state itself that are at the very least sympathetic to groups having extremist views. Building consensus rather than debilitating and fruitless conflict is not a universal panacea for a multitude of ills, but it is a step in the right direction.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 18^th, 2017.

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