Springtime in parliament

Zardari’s lifeline that keeps him safe is his continued pleasing of Washington.

Possibly the major non-event of the week was the address by the ruling party co-chairman — ostensibly wearing his presidential topi, though this was hard to discern — to a depleted parliament. But full marks to Asif Ali Zardari as he has managed to achieve what has not been achievable by his dictator predecessor or by the yo-yoing governments of the ruinous 1990s.

He has, for four consecutive years, managed to stand at the National Assembly rostrum and list what are considered to be the triumphs of his government. The man into whose lap, in 2007, fell the leadership of the PPP — though many remain skeptical as to its legitimacy — had as his goal from Day One the ousting of the then president and the assumption of his office. This was easily achieved as the Americans had by then tired of Pervez Musharraf and his vagaries and had done their ‘deal’ and given Zardari his NRO, and thus as head of state immunity from his alleged misdeeds.

The NRO has largely been forgotten — even by the honourable Supreme Court of Pakistan it seems — but it is Zardari’s lifeline that keeps him safe for as long as Washington is happy with him. There are few signs that it is not, his amenability being what it is. Only the minor matter of the three-year extension given to the most powerful man in this land of the pure, the army chief, may signify the reliance of the US upon General Ashfaq Kayani rather than upon Zardari to fully deliver what is deemed to be the US’s due. Zardari has assumed a supportive role, which he plays magnificently.

His aim of having his government (no matter how supine) and himself complete their respective terms seems eminently achievable, despite the pundits who predict the demise of both to be permanently around the corner. Well, it is not and it will not be, as long as Zardari plays the game he is playing and gives Kayani a free rein — not that he has a choice.

The address to parliament on March 22 — just what did it tell us? Nothing new for sure. He droned on about the “restoration” of the constitution. What restoration? Despite the famous 18th and 19th Amendments, it remains littered with provisions enforced by the 8th Amendment, which are all a blot on national life when it comes to equality and equity of citizenship, tolerance and the distancing of religion from the state as decreed by the country’s founder. The PPP co-chairman did make brief reference to MA Jinnah: “We will ensure a modern and moderate Pakistan,” the Pakistan of Mr Jinnah. How, unless both the Constitution and the national mindset are given a thorough cleansing?

Education received short shrift. According to Zardari, it is “a moral obligation of the state.” Well, yes, but then what exactly has his party done about it? Under his watch, education in this country has become a highly contentious matter as it is being ignored by the government for its own reasons. Feudalism can never come to terms with mass education. They cannot exist together — and never have done.

The state over which Zardari presides, gratis the US, has no intention of fulfilling any moral obligation to the people. His obligations are to ensure that he and his government stick it out to the bitter end, that he clings to constitutional immunity for as long as possible and that his boys and girls in parliament are afforded the most favourable conditions for them to further feather their bursting nests whilst parliamentary springtime in the Republic blooms and blossoms. The postponement of the eventual winter is a prime obligation.

As for the opposition, well, all one can ask is: Is it around? And, nice touch — opening up the speech as he did, Pakistan having taken upon itself the role of defender-in-chief of Islam.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 26^th, 2011.