Issue 60 Vol III, March 31, 2008

E D I T O R I A L

In Search of Peace in the sub-continent

Finally military dictatorship in Pakistan is over. Pakistan People’s Party leader fifty five year old Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani is the new prime minister of Pakistan. A member of an influential political family of Multan that had been in politics since 1920, Gilani has sent strong messages. He has promised to strengthen democracy, rule of law under 1973 constitution and independence of judiciary and media. His first action was the release of judges of Supreme Court and high courts from detention. His second action was to tell Americans that henceforth all important decisions would be taken by an elected parliament and not by their henchman president Pervez Musharraf.

The time is historic for Pakistan. People thwarted all efforts to rig the election and brought democracy back on the rails. They also forced the political parties to come together and form a national government. So Gilani leads a government that has Peoples Party lead by Benazir Bhutto’s widower Ali Zardari, Pakistan Muslim League lead by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, Awami National Party of the famous freedom fighter khan Abdul Ghafar Kahn and now lead by his  grandson Asfandyar Wali, from North Western Frontier Province and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement MQM , the party of refugees in Sindh lead by exiled leader Altaf Hussain.

There is a general sense of relief in Pakistan. There is also huge expectation from the newly elected members of the parliament and the four provincial assemblies of Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan and NWFP that could be soon named as Pakhtoonistan. There is indeed basketful of problems that should have an immediate attention of the government. It is the fight against fundamentalism of all variety including the fundamentalism of the Bush administration that believes that terrorism could be eliminated by guns alone. Other important challenges are the abysmal poverty including social injustice and illiteracy and peace in the Asian sub continent.

Indo Pakistan relations ought to improve and Kashmir question resolved. In this context Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh has offered a hand of strong friendship. In a letter to Pakistan Prime Minister Giani he wrote, “There is a strong public sentiment in both our countries in favour of accelerating the peace process and establishing a cooperative framework for our bilateral relations. There is a common desire to establish a neighbourhood of peace and progress based on greater linkages between our two people, trust and mutual understanding.” He hoped to “build upon the progress already achieved and work expeditiously, through the dialogue process, towards agreed solutions of pending issues.”  There is “an opportunity to transform our relationship into close cooperative and mutually beneficial partnership that should be normal between neighbours like India and Pakistan.”

These are not empty words. Already there is a broad consensus in the two countries that peace must prevail and the two courtiers help each in economic development and the elimination of poverty. Though officially, neither government has acknowledged the areas of convergence on Kashmir but a few points where there is already some understanding could be further debated and agreed upon. It is stated there need not be any change in the territories and the two countries should maintain open borders in Jammu and Kashmir and guarantee autonomy for both sides of Kashmir. There should be joint consultative commissions set up on both sides of Line of Control and there should be reduction of forces on both sides of Jammu and Kashmir, a kind of demilitarisation. If the two counties resolve these issues, a new dawn awaits them. Major beneficiary would be the two Punjabs that have suffered pangs of isolation from each other. They have suffered much in terms of trade and economic cooperation.

In this context it is important to note South Asian Free Media Association that consists of leading journalists from eight countries has welcomed the transition to democracy in Pakistan with the hope that it would culminate into a sustainable and undiluted system of democratic governance including a free media and an independent judiciary. It hoped that “a democratic setup would kick-start the Indo-Pak peace process and double its efforts for the restoration of peace in Afghanistan and Pakistan's tribal areas.”

Already there are signs that Pakistan would assert its authority as Prime Minister Gilani has told US President George W. Bush that a broader approach to the “war on terror” is necessary, including political solutions and development programmes. He urged for rethinking in policy when Bush telephoned him to congratulate on taking office. Gilani told Bush “Pakistan would continue to fight terrorism in all its forms and manifestations since it is in Pakistan's own national interest,” However, a comprehensive approach is required in this regard, specially combining a political approach with development programmes.  Former premier Nawaz Sharif has told two senior American envoys that the new government would review Musharraf’s “one-man” anti-terror strategy and focus on Pakistan's needs.

Leaders now do realise that US-led policies in the Middle East have added to the growth of hatred for the country and those it supports. Inside Pakistan, that includes President Pervez Musharraf. Every survey indicates that. The spate of terrorist attacks that continue in an interminable wave, ask for an urgent need to change policies to save people from the wrath of the killers. The US-directed policies of the past eight years have caused an expansion in militancy, more violence and more hatred. Yet America considers Musharraf to have been a success in battling terror.  Pakistan can no longer afford this situation and survive as one nation.

Only Pakistan and its democratically elected leaders can solve the problems of their country. Terrorism after all is tied with other issues including socio-economic deprivation. A multi-pronged plan is therefore needed to defeat the militants. This necessarily means some exercise of state power to deal with dangerous men of violence, but that alone will not do. A far more thoughtful plan of action is needed, and US must understand the need to give the new democratic government time and space to put it in place without restraining their right to autonomously decide what is paramount for Pakistan and its people.

But there are many imponderables. How the new coalition sets its house and meets the challenges from the Musharraf camp and begins governance. How far Zardari allows the incumbent prime minister to remain in the saddle and how the military generals view the new government. Would the fight to eliminate poverty and bring social justice really start with landlords like Zardari and Sharif so well entrenched in the present setup. Bad agriculture can not feed and sustain industrial development. It would depend much on the awakened people as it would on new leadership.

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