Asif Zardari will have to go forward carefully

Asif Zardari will have to go forward carefully


A secret ballot of the Pakistan’s two houses of parliament and four provincial assemblies elected Asif Zardari, the widower of Benazir Bhutto, the assassinated former prime minister of the country. Pervez Musharraf was forced to resign last month under threat of impeachment. Zaradai’s life journey has taken him from playboy to villain to political hero to the revered Bhutto whose image still casts a shadow over daily life of Pakistan. Zardari secured 281 out of 426 parliamentary votes and won a thumping majority in three of the four provincial assembles.Zardari is the 14th president of Pakistan’s short but turbulent history.” It’s a historic win. It’s a victory for democracy. This man suffered jail for more than eleven years for the sake of democracy and today he is elected as the president of the country and it is a sign of strengthening of democracy. “commented Sherry Rehman, the information minister.


“ Mr. Zaradari has a controversial reputation . He has been charged among other things, with corruption, extortion and murder. In the minds of many he is neither clean nor innocent and this is a huge drawback in his occupying the highest office in the land.”---Shafqat Mahmood, a former MP commented. Now has Zardari overcome the view that he was heavily responsible for the ills that befell his wife as Prime Minister.When he married into the Bhutto dynasty in 1987, Zardari was the little-known scion of a land-owning polo-playing family from Southern Sindh Province. But he quickly carved out a powerful position for himself as a government minister, taking a keen interest in the finance and environmental portfolios. Zaradai was arrested in 1990 just after Benazir was ousted and was released in 1992 and again he was arrested in 1996 and was released in 2005. His arrest and being in jail for eleven years which he term as politically motivated. He knew it well that the army and the vested quarter were hatching plain against PPP. He sensed well that Benazir Bhutto would be killed if she got back home from her exile. Zardari tired his level best to stop Benzair from going back to Pakistan because he never wanted to lose her in one of the conversations in September 07 in Dubai. Zaradari begged Benzair to delay her return just for the sake of her children who could not afford to lose their mother but Benazir was determined. Their daughter Bakhtawar says in this way, “ Yes, my father begged to my mother many times that she should not return to the country .my father was sure that enemies of PPP will definitely target my mother but she never listened to my father because she already spent ten years in exile she wanted to come back before the election. She had a debate with my father but she won the debate with strong arguments.” Now Bakhtawar thinks that oath-taking of her father as the president will not only be a change of the face but it will be a beginning for the change of the whole system.”

“The army has decided to coexist with the present political realities and leadership. They realize that army meddling in politics will be very much misunderstood and not be helpful to their won institution and interest in the country.” Talat Masood, a retired general and military analyst comments which seems to be well founded. Zadari’s civilian government rule will not be impeded as long he does not interfere or change military doctrine.” That means he will have to establish a balance of power and not irritate the army. He will have to remember that half of Pakistan’s 61 year independence was controlled by army. Any conflict with the army may bring the severe damage of democracy. It is also true that he will have establish the people’s will and rule to go toward the mature democracy of Pakistan. Definitely Zardari has not forgotten that Pakistanis military was heavily involved in terminating both Benazir Bhutto’s governments in 1990 and 1996 respectively. When she blamed ISI which was army controlled of being cahoots with the country’s’ then presidents, she saw her ousted. The feeling within military circles has become more pragmatic in the wake of the controversies and often chaotic circumstances that accompanied Mushrraf’s final years in which several months under emergency rule. This is the present reality of Pakistan army which also be careful in dealing with the civilian government.

Various countries of the world expressed their reaction over the win of Zardari. Leaders of Western countries and neighboring Iran and Afghanistan congratulated Zardari upon his wining the presidential election. Pakistan’s closest neighbour India has yet to make any convincing comment.White House spokesman Gordon Johondroe said, “ Bush is looking forward to working with his Prime Minister Gilani and the government of Pakistan on issues important to both countries. Those include counter-terrorism and making sure Pakistan has a stable and secure economy”. British foreign minister David Miliband said, “We are looking forward to working closely with Pakistan President Zaradri to further deepen our partnership with Pakistan. We want to work with government to support measures that promote stability, democracy and the rule of law and strengthen democratic transition.” France, which holds EU’s rotating presidency called for “ an easing of tensions in the region and encourages the Pakistan authorities to make decisive contributions to stability.”EU chief Jose Manuel Barroso said, “I trust that under your presidency the government will implement appropriate policies to meet important economic and security challenges that the country is currently facing.” Pakistan is showed and overshadowed by military and militancy. It lost more than 12000 people in political and religious violence last year. So, Asif Zaradri will have to go forward very carefully. He will have to manage both home and overseas pressure.



Md. Masum Billah
Programme Manager: Brac Education Programme, PACE
Phone: 9355253 (home), 01715-401267(cell)
Email: mmbillah2000@yahoo.com