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People
Want A Meaningful Change
So far PPP government has failed to
bring any meaningful change in peoples' lives. People are
gradually getting restless and impatient with PPP government.
The one most hurt are PPP's own workers. They feel their dreams,
their leader Benazir's dreams, the party founders' dreams are
being shattered right by the leaders of PPP who are currently
running the show.
Who is in charge? Who is in control? Rehman
Malik. When did he join PPP? How he has emerged as the most
powerful man in PPP? No one has the clear answers. Unfortunately
Mr. Zardari thinks change of few faces on the top is enough. Mr
Zardari thinks change of few faces without crucial decisions on
crucial issues will make people feel the change has taken place.
But peoples' burdens are much heavier than
Mr. Zardari can realize. People do not care who is running the
show. Rehman Malik, Farooq Naik, Husain Haqqani may have been
accepted to them if General Musharraf would have impeached by
now, if judges would have bee restored by now, and commodities
would have been available on the market on reasonable prices.
Unfortunately, none of this all has taken place other than
appointments of Rehman Malik, Farooq Naik, Husain Haqqani and of
course, appointment of Dr. Shahid Masood as DG PTV with big fat
salary package and long list of perks.
Shahid Masood was doing a good job as TV show
host. He brought Pakistan's key issues on the fore front with
key actors involved in making or breaking those issues. Mr.
Zardari took away a good TV show host by paying big fat salary
package to him in order to push big issues Dr. Shahid Masood
raised under the rug. Dr. Shahid was part of Prime Minister
Gilani's entourage, but he was no where seen. Perhaps he was
trying to calm down his conscience somewhere in his hotel room
by drinking few bottles of alcohol.
While all these cosmetic activities continue
in and around Pakistan, situation is getting graver by the hours
inside and around Pakistan. Days and week will further
deteriorate the situation.
The sad part of the story is there is no
realization at any level.
General Musharraf is as stubborn as ever. He
does not want to disappear from the scene regardless of all the
disasters he has inflicted on Pakistan. Zardari thinks he has
initiated the process to bring desired change in the country
without knowing people are getting fed-up with the dance of PPP
caricatures at every national and international stage.
Mian Nawaz Sharif is ready to quit the
coalition. Perhaps it is the only right thing to do for Mian
Nawaz Sharif as Mr. Zardari has gone back on all his
promises. The fact of the matter is PPP has not behaved as a
coalition partner. It has taken all decisions on all important
issues unilaterally without taking coalition partners in
confidence. It has also ignored the issues most important to
the hearts and minds of leaders of biggest coalition partner PML
(N). General Musharraf has not been impeached and judges have
not been restored to the position of November 2, 2007. It is PML
(N) which showed all the flexibility on these two issues. PPP
has stubbornly maintained its lackluster stand on these two
issues.
May be, PPP leadership can wait for some more
time to deal with these pressing issues, but Pakistan's
worsening situation demands for severer actions. PML (N) is
ready to arrest the moment. Undoubtedly, it should seize the
moment. Mr. Zardari can have all the time, but PML (N) should
immediately demand to hold parliamentary session and bring
resolution on the parliamentary floor to discuss: 1) general
Musharraf's impeachment, 2) Restoration of Judges, 3) Situation
in FATA, and 4) Runaway prices. If something can be achieved
on the parliament floor, fine, otherwise, it should ditch the
coalition. Pakistan needs to move forward, Mr. Zardari has all
the time, but Pakistan does not.
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