Daily Times Editorial Dec 26, 2009

Trust deficit

The trust deficit between the two largest mainstream political parties, PPP and PML-N, was very much on display when Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani called Nawaz Sharif on his birthday. The courtesy of birthday greetings aside, there was not much else to cheer about. The prime minister reiterated for the umpteenth time that the nation would ‘soon’ hear good news about the undoing of amendments introduced in the constitution by military dictators. While on the face of it the prime minister made the right noises, the scepticism of the PML-N chief was later reflected in Nawaz Sharif’s statement on a private TV channel that the PPP-led coalition government “is not showing seriousness” in resolving the country’s problems. Statements by the ruling party leaders have “disappointed everyone”, complained Nawaz. In a meeting with the Federal Railways Minister Ghulam Bilour of the ANP who called on him, some sources speculating the minister carried a message from President Asif Ali Zardari, Nawaz reminded his guest that the system was still working under a “mutilated” constitution and hoped the prime minister would implement the Supreme Court verdict on the NRO. Meanwhile speculation about an impending Zardari-Nawaz Meeting is tempered by the PML-N’s insistence on a meaningful and result-oriented agenda for any such interaction.
Let us try to fathom what it is that is reinforcing the trust deficit with the PPP-led government and the president in Nawaz Sharif’s mind. First and foremost, the PML-N chief is getting impatient with what he sees as foot-dragging by the PPP on the constitutional amendments package being deliberated by the Senator Raza Rabbani-led parliamentary committee. Reports state that the committee’s composition has given smaller parties, amongst whom are included those whose base of support is in the smaller provinces, a weightage in the committee’s proceedings that is far in excess of their parliamentary or even political strength. Obviously this was conceded in order to carry such parties and public opinion in the smaller provinces with whatever consensus emerges from the committee. But one result of this composition ha s been that while the PML-N is more interested in the repeal of those provisions of the 17th amendment that they associate with the narrow personal interests of former president Pervez Musharraf, including lifting of the ban on becoming prime minister for a third time, the smaller parties are holding out for a comprehensive package that addresses their concerns about long-denied provincial autonomy. These parties representing nationalist opinion in the smaller provinces do not want a piece-meal constitutional change, as they fear once the bigger parties have got what they want, they will lose interest, as in the past, in the agenda of the smaller parties. While one can sympathise with the smaller parties based on the track record of broken promises on the issue of provincial autonomy in our history, this insistence implies that the clause-by-clause review of the entire constitution is bound to take time. Some reports estimate the process may not be complete until March 2010. That of course, opens up the process to unforeseen developments or even growing impatience between now and the end of this three month timeframe. After all, three months is an eternity in politics, especially our politics.
The PML-N is also complaining that the PPP government is implementing the Supreme Court’s short order on the NRO only partially, while the prime minister and others have sought to hide behind the claim that they are waiting for the detailed judgement. The partial implementation is in asking those PPP ministers whose cases have reopened to present themselves sin the courts. However, the action suggested by the court against former Attorney General Malik Qayyum has yet to see the light of day, as the directive to reopen the Swiss cases against the president. Even the court’s structures against the NAB hierarchy await appropriate steps.
The trust deficit set in early in this government’s life on the judiciary issue, and has if anything widened over time. It would be a pity if the otherwise cooperative attitude of the two mainstream parties made shipwreck not on intent, but on delayed implementation of promises made repeatedly.