Pakistan: The melodrama is over

EDITORIAL: DAILY TIMES

Although he promised a mammoth ‘revolution’, Dr Tahirul Qadri turned out to be no more than a glitch in the ongoing democratic process. The ‘million’ man march and rally he vowed would hold the capital hostage came to a rather unceremonious end after five days of essentially waiting on the government to kowtow to his demands and whims. The result was not one he had hoped for as all the political stakeholders did what they normally never do: unite for a common cause. All the political parties set aside their differences and vowed to ensure that the democratic process would not be allowed to be manipulated by any random entrant bent upon inciting a ‘revolution’ but delivering only a distraction. While government representatives did get a little hot under the collar on Tuesday due to the Supreme Court’s (SC) surprise ruling against Prime Minister Ashraf, they were not too deterred by the screams and shouts of the doctor who made some very ludicrous demands. Dr Tahirul Qadri’s mass demonstration against the present dispensation has seen a rather unceremonious end as he has been given no more than a chance at saving face after the thundering promises he made the nation. Government representatives from all political parties have met with the Dr and have agreed to reforms that do not as much concede to his wishes as they do allow for a smooth run up to the elections. They include the dissolution of the National Assembly before March 16, 2013 so that elections can be held within 90 days, taking a detailed look at the composition of the Election Commission of Pakistan, focusing on the enforcement of electoral reforms, finding an honest and impartial caretaker prime minister and withdrawing all cases registered against each other — not quite the booming blow to this government Mr Qadri may have wanted to flaunt. Dr Qadri has accepted these reforms without hesitation because all his calls for political backing by the MQM and the PTI were rejected, the government was not conceding and the number of people supporting him was pitiable compared to the millions he professed. He, essentially, had been backed into a corner and knew his mischief making days were numbered. Sitting in his heated and comfortable container while the people sat on the cold tarmac outside in winter’s freezing cold, the ‘revolutionary’ liked to think he was representing the people and addressing their grievances. Most Pakistanis were not taken in by his rhetoric and bellowing ambition as could be seen by the fact that, in the end, Dr Qadri was standing alone. The government was all too kind to allow him such a clean and fair getaway. The silver lining here is that our political forces have realised the stakes involved in the run up to the general elections and how fragile Pakistan’s first ever democratic transition really is. They have also realised that there are plenty of detractors of democracy here and surprise ‘revolutions’ are not a thing of fiction. Dr Qadri’s role in this entire drama must be questioned. Now that the storm has abated, everything about Mr Qadri’s exploits must be investigated. It is being reported that the Canadian authorities have summoned Mr Qadri to question him about why he has been in Pakistan when he applied for Canadian citizenship on the pretext of seeking asylum from that country. If this is true, the news serves as another blow to the doctor’s credibility. Now that Tahirul Qadri’s little crusade is over, it is extremely important that the government and all political entities do one thing: wake up. No matter who the quack may be, the people will follow him. They are disenchanted, hungry, power- and energy-deprived, jobless and angry. It is time the government faces these real problems. Anomalies like Mr Qadri should be relegated to the dustbin where they belong by the united democratic forces.