Slowly, slowly …

Fair enough, it is go-easy time on the PML-N and on its leader Mian Nawaz Sharif. That is how it should be; give him time to get into parliament and sit there for the first time in over a decade, form a government, and then get on with reforming the country — a country that is now not what it was when he left it. Can he disprove that much quoted saying attributed to a depressed Mohammad Ali Jinnah that each successive government of Pakistan will be worse than its predecessor? From his conduct during the past five years, it may not be impossible. In large part, it is due to the Mian that the PPP-Z was able to fulfil its main aim and survive the full term.



One great factor that must find favour with many citizens is Mr Sharif’s initial approach of rapprochement to India — one of his first statements — which was kindly received by the other side, which also is not what it was last century. This bodes well, though some express the opinion that the army does not wish him to “rush” things. So, it’s got to be all slowly, slowly, piano, piano ...

As wrote MK Bhadrakumar, the retired career diplomat and frequent sound commentator, in the Asia Times on May 14: “To be sure, the prospect of Nawaz Sharif being at the helm of affairs in Islamabad comes as great relief to the Indian leadership. Sharif is a known figure to the Indian elite and Delhi knows it can do business with him.

“In fact, things were beginning to look up in India-Pakistan relations at that point in 1999 when Sharif was ousted from power in the military coup led by General (retd) Pervez Musharraf.

“In the Indian estimation, one main reason why the military conspired against the elected government led by Sharif was the apprehension in Rawalpindi that the normalisation process with India that he was actively pursuing might gain traction.”

On May 19, our press told us that more bodies of army soldiers have been recovered from Gayari. This was a reminder that Mian Sahib did what few leaders have done and in April 2012 visited the Siachen Glacier after the unfortunate Gayari sector avalanche. Now, there are quite a few this side of the border and that side who will admit to no logic when it comes to the Indo-Pakistan stand-off in Siachen and many will condemn the fate of the soldiers of each side who live in peril or die on the Glacier.

Nawaz Sharif was a rarity in that during his glacial visit he remarked: “The Pakistani government should take the lead and withdraw its troops from the Siachen Glacier. Let’s not make it a matter of ego. Pakistan should take the initiative.” This was more than commendable. But how much backing did he have? We can, with a high degree of certainty, presume that the army was somewhat perturbed. Support came from this publication, to its great credit, editorialising on April 19 last year, ending with “Mr Sharif has rightly chosen wisdom rather than ‘national honour’ by advising a ‘unilateral’ withdrawal from Siachen. He remembers the year 1999 when his approach to India was sabotaged by ‘freedom fighters’ at Kargil. A nuclear Pakistan erred by waging a conventional war and endangered the world and was roundly condemned by all countries. Now let us earn some praise.”

Does Mian Sahib still prescribe to this viewpoint? We must hope so, though we know that the institution that pays the highest price for a cruel and pointless situation in a totally inhospitable area will naturally, for its own reasons, have its reservations. But given time and wisdom, and gentle persuasion, who knows …

Published in The Express Tribune, May 25^th, 2013.