Daily Times editorial Dec 26, 2009

Gilani’s confidence

Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani came across as highly confident in an interview with a private TV channel and in an interaction with anchorpersons of private TV channels the other day. He answered all questions, even awkward ones, with a cool, calm, fully-in-control demeanour. Having said that, certain of the prime minister’s answers gave rise to more questions in observers’ minds. What exactly was the gist of the prime minister’s statements?
Gilani said there were no differences between the PPP and the army, the army leadership supports the civilian leadership, the army was bound to ensure the implementation of the government’s orders, and relations between the PPP and GHQ had struck a cordial note for the first time in history. Gilani said the army chief was a proponent of democracy and therefore the negativity surrounding his image must be wiped out. Comments made by Kamal Azfar in the Supreme Court to the effect that the government was threatened by GHQ and the American CIA had harmed the government, as the army was not interfering in politics. Similarly, Gilani asserted, the judiciary was not interfering in government affairs, nor were there any differences between him and the president.
While these statements amount to ‘all’s well in the best of all possible worlds’, no amount of chutzpah can hide the fact that concerns have been expressed in recent days about all these issues. The military’s penchant for interfering in politics and even overthrowing civilian governments is too well known in our history to require repeating. If the present conjuncture has persuaded the military that it would be foolhardy to venture into territory replete with uncertainties at a time when it has its hands full against the terrorists, that should not be assumed to represent a permanent turning away from the ‘saviour’ syndrome. Pakistan has been stung too many times in this regard for our people to be sanguine about the possibility.
As to the judiciary, many keen legal minds are cautioning after the Supreme Court’s short order on the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) that the courts must be careful not to overstep judicial purview. That has already had an effect on some of the apex court judges themselves, who now appear sensitive to the charge in other cases before the Supreme Court. If, as the prime minister argues, all institutions of the state remain within their ambit, there should not be a problem or a clash between discrete institutions. The responsibility for pre-empting any such possibility lies on all sides and institutions to ensure constitutional norms and limits are observed. Even an inadvertent crossing of the line could provoke unintended and unforeseeable consequences.
Last but not least, the prime minister reiterated that the PPP-led government had been duly elected and had a mandate to rule for five years. Those predicting its imminent demise through repeated deadlines that have come and gone should refrain from spreading alarm. The country cannot afford any more disruption of normal political processes, especially at a juncture when it is confronting enormous challenges in the shape of the struggle against terrorism and revival of the economy. A sustainable democratic system can only emerge if all players exercise restraint, adhere to democratic principles, and learn the virtue of patience.