Farrukh Khan Pitafi's Official Website

Let me start by confessing that when it comes to policy matters I am nobody. I am not a political, social or intellectual heavyweight. I am just an ordinary writer and voter with nothing to lose. Yet it is in the nature of the writers to continue to rethink things and believe that someone is hearing their voice. My only concern for quite sometime has been to see a Pakistan that progresses without any contradiction. But in a country with such a huge colonial and neo-colonial legacy I had forgotten that this day had to come. As I write I feel totally exhausted, ashamed and belittled.
It must be mentioned here that my stand on national issues has been always clear. Democracy is the only system of governance which a federation can afford and Pakistan People’s Party seems just the party to offer it to us. Apart from the party’s thorough democratic credentials there is an unadulterated legacy of sacrifices for democracy the recent of which being that of Mohtarma Bhutto. It was natural then that I not only argue for the strengthening of the party but also voted on February 18 for a man who is now the Prime Minister of the country. I have always tried to raise voice for democracy and in support of the ruling coalition. But unfortunately now it seems that the party is taking a line which is not only highly confusing but utterly indefensible.
Let me start from a recent anecdote. As you all know for the last three days the Prime Minister was in his home town Multan. Here he addressed a number of gatherings. One of these was his talk with the press at Multan Press Club. He announced a developmental package for the district which is most welcome but we hope that unlike the past experiences of the city this time we do see true implementation of the projects too. But that was not all. The Prime Minister also took questions and gave answers. Seizing the opportunity I asked a simple but serious question. He had earlier mentioned that his government had a clear strategy to control all problems of the country. My question then was about the exact nature of the strategy to control inflation. Strategy is a good word but it is a word nevertheless. Quite cliche’d it fails to elaborate an unexplained choice of steps to solve a problem. What really was the strategy to control inflation then? I had hoped that for our satisfaction the chief executive of the country would give a brief list of various measures like new subsidies, imports from a neighboring country, relaxation of tax regime or even a plan to borrow from foreign donors. But what we got was a brief answer. “The government will control inflation through good governance”. That was it. I mean good governance is another cliche. Everyone has a different interpretation of good governance. And to add to it the PM also said, “Meri Zuban bandi kee ja rahhee hai”, (my tongue is being tied) referring perhaps to his staff’s insistence to cut short the meeting and leave. I was left non-plussed.
This is all very confusing because the government quite like the previous regime has chosen to speak in more than one voice. Most unfortunate because on February 18, the people voted also to put an end to the policy confusion. I agree that the government does not have a magic wand or Alladdin’s lamp but at least we can expect it to have its paradigms clear. But are they? Unfortunately people are growingly subscribing to the view that it is as clueless as we are and there are no solutions in its mind. I view this all as the establishment’s conspiracy to further discredit the politicians and pave way for a final return to dictatorial rule. But beyond a certain point this is not possible if the political class does not allow this to happen to it. Yet the politicians seem careless, ignorant of the high stakes in the situation. I can understand and even appreciate the cooperation, often dubbed by the opponents as complacence, offered by the rest of the coalition parties, because we in media have kept enough moral pressure on them not to leave the coalition. But if the PPP does not want a coalition which brought it success in the elections what can we say. I am still unsure what the party wants different from the previous government. Does it really want to axe FCR or not? And what law will replace it? Does the government want to follow US, Army and Bretton Wood system’s dictates on terror, defense and economic policy respectively or it wants proactive policy options? Does it want restoration of 1973 constitution, federal and parliamentary system or not?
I don’t deny that there are uncountable impressive members in the cabinet but while all of them are the representatives of the people. Meanwhile Asif Zardari is the head of the largest democratic party of the country and hence people’s representative. But somehow the cabinet and the government seems to be hijacked by two unelected men. Frankly I fail to understand what Farooq Naik and Rahman Malik want the government to do? Mr Naik might have forgotten how the president used the PML-Q to defame his party on the pretext of the NRO but we have not. Mr Malik might have forgotten how the presidency tried to implicate him in the murder case of Benazir Bhutto but we have not. May I remind my readers that both of these luminaries failed abysmally in performing their original responsibilities assigned to them. The fact that Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto is not with us should at least embarrass Mr Malik a little. The fact that the country’s largest party after being hounded for a decade on cases so flimsily supported by evidence that no indictment was possible over such a long period of time, had to seek reprieve from the establishment and not from the courts should at least offer Mr Naik to reflect upon hs advocacy skills. Yet both of these men have wreaked havoc after being made advisors in the relevant ministries. Now Aitzaz Ahsan who so effectually brought the establishment on its knees on the judicial issue is evil and the attorney general who wrecked everything is not even criticized. Now the presidency has to be engaged in the name of reconciliation but PML-N is allowed to slide into embarrassing situations. The judges which stood against a dictator’s stand no matter for whatever reasons are bad and the judges who failed to even take notice of a national tragedy as big as Mohtarma Bhutto’s assassination are all of a sudden good. While it may not be very difficult for the government to do it is indeed very hard for us to justify. I mean since the start of the election campaign I and my likes in the media have faced enough of humiliation at the hands of the presidency’s crony journalists and we still continued unabated. But we cannot justify one thing one day and contradict it altogether on the next. We owe something to our readers too. It is time that the government takes charge of the situation and show some responsibility. Talk without action cannot suffice all times but at least for a government which is only starting there should at least be some clear talk.
At present we do not even know what it wants to do? Does the government want to seek UN help in Benazir Bhutto assassination probe or not? If it does, now that the foreign secretary opposing it is gone, what is keeping it? It is natural that the establishment will try to impede every serious step that the government takes but if the government wants to sidestep confrontation with the retrogressive elements in the establishment and is ready to give up all its principled stands what can we then say?
I have been arguing for quite sometime that the PPP was never given the real authority whenever in power and often wondered why it allowed itself to end up in such a situation. But as we speak the party is taking fast strides towards the same condition. This time however the party does not have Benazir Bhutto to salvage its image. If it loses this chance it may not have any chance left. It is in the interest of the party to stand close with its electoral allies. If it believes that it can stay in government with the support of Fazl-ur-Rehman, Altaf Hussain and Chaudhry Shujaat then it should think again. These are the elements of obscurantism and retrogression. If they are back in power with the support of the presidency they’ll ensure that the party is left with no public image whatsoever. And that will happen within months not years. If that’s what it wants then what can we do? In such a situation if fresh elections and rigging takes place the PML-Q will win and if they are free then PML-N. What is the face saving then? Likewise the ruckus regarding the delay in the bye elections. The party needs to show now that it is serious in its own progress at least. Is it asking for too much?
Regarding the reconciliation towards the presidency and the establishment I have this to say. we have to face arguments like this: With the exception of the last one and a half year the Musharraf regime was playing its policy game, despite long term damage, quite smoothly. The power outages were not substantial. Inflation was there but still there was talk of foreign investment and renewable loans. There were uncountable other such indicators. If we had to end up in such a compromise why did we go against the old order in first place? This is a question that we are growingly failing to answer. This is my plight. A person who has supported the party’s stance unflinchingly for quite sometime. Just think of the layman on the street and the voter. There is time still. It is time to decide who will have voice in the echelons of power: Fazl-ur-Rehman or the enlightened citizens of the country, Altaf Hussain or the peace loving people of the nation. If the election commission is still looking towards the presidency change it, if president is a problem work to change him. Unfortunately it seems everything was fine before General Kayani gave briefing to the victors in the Prime Minister Secretariat. Is the Chief of Army Staff also helpless before the If the democratic forces establishment’s intrigues? IIf the same bankrupt faces of the regime have to call the shots why did everyone strive for a change that has brought General Kayani to his seat and the new government to the power corridors. IIf the democratic forces do not show that they know the direction, they will very quickly be forgotten. Believe me I am really heartbroken when I say this.