Daily Times Editorial March 26, 2013

A caretaker prime minister at last Tortuous though it may have been, there is room for satisfaction in the fact that at the end of the day, the country has a caretaker prime minister. When the procedure as laid down in the constitution failed to achieve agreement on a consensus caretaker prime minister between the outgoing prime minister and the leader of the opposition, and then the parliamentary committee set up with equal representation of the treasury and opposition benches, the task fell to the election commission, which has after due deliberations, delivered a majority decision in favour of Justice (retd) Mir Hazar Khan Khoso from Balochistan. The election commission chief, Justice (retd) Fakhruddin G Ebrahim revealed to the media the decision and also underlined the fact that it was taken by a 4-1 majority, the member from Punjab, Justice (retd) Riaz Kiyani, dissenting and casting his vote for Justice (retd) Nasir Aslam Zahid, the PML-N’s nominee. The election commission had been trying for a consensus, but when it became clear that Justice (retd) Kiyani was sticking to his guns, the committee voted by a majority in favour of Justice (retd) Khoso. Justice (retd) Khoso has since taken oath of office from President Asif Ali Zardari. He had an interaction with media on Sunday in which he committed as his topmost priority the holding of free, fair and transparent elections and facilitating the election commission in carrying out this task. He also sought to put all conspiracy theories and speculations to rest by asserting that the caretaker setup would not continue a day beyond its tenure, and if it did, he would go home. He promised to have good relations with all political parties and induct a small cabinet of 12-15 members to handle the country’s affairs in the interim until the elections. Given his Baloch background, Justice (retd) Khoso was asked about the possibility of his playing a role in calming things down in troubled Balochistan and ensuring the elections were held in a congenial atmosphere in that province. While the caretaker prime minister promised to do his best to bring this about, scepticism exists whether the complex insurgency-hit situation in Balochistan can yield to normality without a political dialogue and settlement with the estranged Baloch leaders and people. In the same context, Justice (retd) Khoso said that while law and order was the responsibility of the provinces, his administration would help and facilitate them in ensuring a conducive and peaceful atmosphere for the upcoming polls. From the president down, most political parties across the divide have welcomed the appointment of Justice (retd) Khoso as the caretaker prime minister, despite continuing disquiet over the inability of the politicians to grab the historic opportunity they were presented with. One should nevertheless be grateful for small mercies that the three-layered process laid down in the constitution finally provided the desired end result. The only reservations as such over Justice (retd) Khoso’s appointment have been voiced by PTI and JI, but they lack any solid grounds for their objections. Even the PML-N, whose nominee/s did not win out, has accepted the election commission’s decision with good grace. Pakistan has certainly turned a corner from the past when caretaker prime ministers were appointed five times before this through a non-transparent, behind closed doors process, with objections from one side or the other almost an inevitable fallout. The broad acceptance, if not near-consensus on the caretaker prime minister’s appointment is a sign of the maturing of the democratic process in the country. However, as he has promised to do, the caretaker prime minister must so conduct himself as to allay any lingering objections to his appointment or suspicions that he is the PPP’s nominee. As the constitution envisages, the caretaker prime minister, no matter who may have nominated him, once he enters office, must show impartiality if the goal of a free, fair, transparent, credible election is to be achieved.