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Moving Pakistan Politically
Forward
It is Zardari regime’s responsibility to put
Pakistan back on constitutional track. In order to achieve this
objective, the government must take certain steps. Some steps
are constitutional some are symbolic.
It is okay to move slowly on constitutional
matters. However, inaction on symbolic matters is
incomprehensible and inexcusable.
Constitutional matters include reversal of
general Musharraf’s illegal constitutional inductions which
created imbalance between the offices of President and Prime
Minister thus converting parliamentary form of government into
presidential.
This reversal is a must in order to remove
anomalies created in the system. Because of this anomaly
President holds all powers but he is not answerable to the
people and Prime Minister who is answerable to the people does
not hold enough of powers to deliver on his promises.
President Zardari and most of the leaders of
coalition parties agree on reversal of these constitutional
amendments. Some of them have already developed the drafts of
18th and 19th amendments which will
reverse general Musharraf’s constitutional steps.
While the work on constitutional amendments
is in progress, it is important Zardari regime takes steps to
knock down Musharraf regime’s symbolic icons. For example, it
does not make sense to leave governors of three out of four
provinces and several other components of Musharraf regime in
offices.
It is particularly incomprehensible because
some of these Musharraf regime’s components were part of the
brutal actions taken by him after the imposition of November 3
emergency.
It is the presence of these symbolic icons on
their positions which gives the impression of Zardari regime as
extension of Musharraf regime.
Moreover, it seems like Pakistan’s problems
are not going away because of the presence of Musharraf regime’s
these symbolic icons in their offices.
Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry’s
steps have already started making positive contribution in
Pakistan. Various government departments have started breathing
and life is coming back to them. An ostensible new awakening is
teaching them to perform within their legal and constitutional
limits.
Active and effective media is also making
positive contribution. All of sudden, state of Pakistan has
started looking like a real state.
With these fresh feelings in the air if
Zardari regime starts cleaning general Musharraf’s symbolic
icons from Pakistan’s body politics, it will definitely enhance
the speed of recovery.
This iconic cleansing is the call of the
history. Zardari regime has to move in this direction quick.
Otherwise, it will continue sliding downward to the point where
it will not only lose esteem it will also lose power.
It is up to Zardari regime to arrest the
spirit of the moment and take necessary steps or face the
intervention of history to move Pakistan forward.
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