Daily Times Editorial Jan 7, 2013

Democratic forces’ convergence The alarm bells set off in the polity as a result of Tahirul Qadri’s offensive, widely interpreted as a conspiracy to have the elections postponed, has evoked a remarkable convergence amongst almost all the political parties to resist any such adventure. From Prime Minister (PM) Raja Pervez Ashraf to opposition leader Nawaz Sharif, ANP through the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, etc, a chorus of voices is now being heard condemning the sinister move and reiterating the democratic forces’ resolve to ensure that the elections are held, on time, and in a free and fair manner. The PM while addressing a rally in Chakwal said all the political parties were on the same page on this issue and that there was no alternative to democracy. The system had made advances and would be consolidated over the next five years (when a new government is elected this year). He went on to point out that the army and judiciary too are aligned with the protection and promotion of democracy. Nawaz Sharif in conversation with Jamiat-e-Ahle Hadith chief Senator Sajid Mir said “remote controlled" people were trying to fool the people by talking about electoral reforms and bringing 'change’ in the country but their nefarious agenda would be foiled. He further underlined that undemocratic forces had brought the country to the verge of destruction, with an increase in terrorism, inflation and unemployment. Only democracy can safeguard the integrity and development of the country, the PML-N chief emphasised. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly has passed a resolution critical of Qadri. Meanwhile Federal Interior Minster Rehman Malik has revealed intelligence intercepts indicate there may be a threat to attack Qadri’s long march by extremists. Interestingly, US and UK diplomats have clarified and rejected the speculation that they were backing Qadri. While reports speak of the government contemplating an All Parties Conference to strategise against the Qadri threat, even Chief Election Commissioner Justice (Retd) Fakhruddin G Ebrahim has spoken of conspiracies to delay the elections and derail democracy, which would be combated by the Election Commission ensuring the elections are held in time and no obstacle will be allowed to stand in the way of this crucial task. While the polity by and large converges on the need to combat Qadri’s and any other conspiracies against the timely holding of this historic election, the only discordant notes had been struck by the PML-Q and MQM. While the PPP has succeeded in pulling back its coalition ally the PML-Q from support for Qadri and his long march, the MQM chief Altaf Hussain has hinted darkly at some kind of political ‘drone attack’ soon. What this ‘drone attack’ may consist of is not clear, but speculation revolves around the possibility that his party may pull out of the ruling coalition, where it has co-existed with the PPP and other allies uneasily throughout the last five years. The MQM has a sorry record of letting down the democratic forces at critical junctures, and this time too, disappointingly, it seems to bee positioning itself against history and the democratic dispensation. As long as the democratic political forces and the state institutions accused in the past of derailing democracy, i.e. the army and the judiciary, are all on board, there should be little difficulty in letting the Qadri phenomenon end in a whimper rather than a bang. Pakistan needs a successful, peaceful transition under a consensus election commissioner and caretaker prime minister through the ballot box, from an elected government completing its tenure for the first time in the country’s history, to another elected government. Nothing could, at this juncture, be more critical if Pakistan is to turn the page on its dark dictatorial and antidemocratic past.