The writer is Editor of The Express Tribune
Some incidents seem to have overtaken the incoming PM. The drone strike that killed the TTP second in command has put Sharif in a corner. Not only because the TTP has withdrawn its offer of ceasefire talks but more because Sharif has to take a decision on drone strikes. In this he will have to lock heads with those who support the drone strikes in Pakistan. The question is whether Sharif will prevail. This is an issue that puts into focus our civil-military relations.
Should we be worried? Nawaz Sharif has so far shown that he has learnt from past mistakes. His decision not to indulge in horse trading has exposed Maulana Fazlur Rehman but at the same time allowed a government of the Tehreek-e-Insaf in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. In KP, the issue of drone attacks and the terrorism that is associated with it. If drone attacks cease, the KP Chief Minister says terrorism will halt. This puts more pressure on the centre.
In Balochistan, the best news ever is the appointment of Dr Abdul Malik Baloch as Chief Minister. This time we will have a more serious, honest and committed person heading the province. Now we need to see whether he will be given the power to run the affairs of Balochistan in the best way possible.
In fact, the challenge that Dr Baloch will face in Balochistan will more or less be the same that Nawaz Sharif will face at the centre. Will the establishment allow this prime minister with a heavy mandate to govern as per his powers. In the past this was not allowed.
Other parties have similar issues. In Sindh, it is more of the same. Or is it? The PPP may be ruling the roost but the party needs to get its act together or face annihilation in their home base in the next elections. Chief minister Qaim Ali Shah used to blame the MQM in the past for not letting his government function. Now he does not have that excuse any more. Let us see whether this third-time chief minister learns from his past mistakes as our third timer PM seems to have done.
Despite winning back most of its seats, the MQM is now undergoing a transformation. New faces are being given responsibility. And the party is also lying low, shying away from offers of power. Some of the senior party leaders say that this is the best policy under the circumstances given that it was the MQM that was the target of the powers that be in the 2013 elections. They say that it seemed on election day that the only constituency where there were irregularities was NA250, leaving aside what happened in Punjab.
Will things get better in the coming months? Possibly yes. But not at the speed that Mian sahib may want things to happen. That may be a good thing. 2013 is an important year not only because of the general elections but because all members of the power troika may exit in one month or another. Already President Zardari has indicated that he may not be seeking re-election. This will give the elected government a chance to bring in people of their liking or choice. Would that make Mian Sahab a dictator, as was seen in the past, or would there be institutions in place to check his government if it decides to go overboard.
Another worry is whether the PML-N will prove itself as a national party and not one that keeps Lahore’s interests uppermost. A case in point is election of speaker and deputy speaker. This is an issue that is on the minds of people in the smaller provinces. If nothing else, the disparities between the different provinces have grown in the past five years. All eyes are on Islamabad and on Lahore. As the government is formed at the centre, we will have a better idea of how things will shape up for the next five years. We are keeping our fingers crossed.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 3rd, 2013.
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