Friday, November 30, 2018
پاکستان پیپلزپارٹی ۔ یوم تاسیس اور انقلابی تاریخ - #یوم_تاسیس
اکیاون برس کی پیپلزپارٹی اسٹیبلشمنٹ کی بدترین دشمن، محلاتی سازشوں،
ذوالفقار علی بھٹو کے والد سر شاہنواز سیاست کے مخالف تھے۔ ان کا خیال تھا کہ سیاست ایک ایسا کھیل ہے جس کا اختتام ہمیشہ المناک ہوتا ہے۔ وہ اپنے بیٹے کو خوشحال اور مطمئن دیکھنا چاہتے تھے لیکن اس کا کیا علاج کہ اس کے خون میں پیدائشی طور پر انقلاب کے جرثومے پرورش پا کر اس قدر توانا ہوچکے تھے کہ وہ سیاست اور عوامی خدمت کے بغیر زندگی کوہی کارِ لاحاصل گردانتا تھا اور پھر تمام تر مخالفت کے باوجود بھٹو کار زارِ سیاست کا شہسوار بن گیا۔ اسکندر مرزا اور ایوب خان کی کابینہ میں وزارت کے بعد 1962میںپاکستان کا وزیرخارجہ بنا لیکن اس سیماب صفت نوجوان کا اضطرار قرار نہ پکڑ پایا۔ جنوری 1966 میںایوب حکومت سے علیحدہ ہوا، 30نومبر 1967کو پاکستان پیپلزپارٹی کے نام سے ایک نئی سیاسی پارٹی بنا کرجلد ہی ’’قائد ِ عوام‘‘ بن گیا۔ وہ گھور اندھیرے میں چاندنی سے لفظ اور جگنوئوں سے اُجالے مانگ کر آگہی کے شکستہ طاقوں میں چراغ جلاتا رہا تاکہ اس بدن دریدہ قوم کوروشن صبح کا نیا راستہ دکھا سکے اور پھر چشم عالم نے حیرت زدگی کے ساتھ دیکھا کہ کس طرح ایک نوزائیدہ سیاسی جماعت کے کارکنوں اور اس کی قیادت نے مایوسی اور شکست خوردگی کی شکار قوم کو ترقی اور خودداری کی راہ پر گامزن کرنے کیلئے ایسی قربانیاں دیں کہ اس کرہ ٔ ارض پر معرض وجود میں آنے والی کسی سیاسی پارٹی کی زندگی میں ایسی مثال ملنا مشکل ہے!بھٹو کون تھا، اس کی جدوجہد کیا تھی اور پیپلزپارٹی کیا ہے۔ آیئے یہ کہانی خودبھٹو کے اپنے الفاظ میں سنتے ہیں۔ ذوالفقار علی بھٹو اپنی کتاب ’’میرا پاکستان‘‘ میں کہتے ہیں:’’میں نے طبقاتی منافرت نہیںپھیلائی۔ ہاں البتہ مظلوم عوام کا عَلم یقیناً بلند رکھا ہے اور ان کے حقوق دلانے کیلئے جدوجہد کی ہے اور میں اس وقت تک آرام سے نہیںبیٹھوں گا جب تک یہ مقدس مقصد حاصل نہیں کرلیتا۔ اگر میری زندگی میں ایسا نہ ہوسکا تو مرتے وقت آخری الفاظ میں اپنے بچوںسے وعدہ لوںگا کہ وہ اس مقصد کی تکمیل کریں۔ میں اسی مقصد کیلئے پیدا ہوا تھا۔ میںنے اس غریب ملک کے ہر غریب ماں باپ کے محروم ہاتھوں میں جنم لیا۔ میں صدیوںسے روتی ہوئی آنکھوںسے آنسو پونچھنے کیلئے ملک کے سیاسی افق پرشہاب ِ ثاقب کی طرح اُبھرا۔ میں تاریکیوں کو چھٹانے اور غلامی کی زنجیریںتوڑنے کیلئے حضرت علی ؓ کی تلوار لے کر آیا۔ مجھے کوئی ترغیب و تحریص عوام کے راستے سے نہیںہٹا سکتی۔ میں ان کے حقوق کیلئے لڑتا رہوںگا۔ میں انصاف کے حصول کی عظیم جدوجہد میں انہیں قیادت مہیا کرتا رہوںگا۔ میں اپنی آواز کے زور سے ان کی آواز میں زور پیدا کروں گا۔ میں ان کی گاڑی کو آگے بڑھانے میںاپنی پوری طاقت لگائوںگا۔ اس فرض کو ادا کرتے ہوئے میںاسلام کی طرف سے عائد کی گئی بھاری ذمہ داری نبھا رہا ہوں اور ایک انسانی مشن پورا کر رہا ہوں۔ طاقت کا پلڑا اس طبقے کے حق میں پورا پورا جھکا ہوا ہے جس نے صدیوں در صدیوں سے تاریک گھروندوں پر حکومت کی۔ سر سے پیر تک مسلح، ناقابل تسخیر حد تک محفوظ پنڈتوںاور ڈاکوئوں کا یہ طبقہ بے زبانوںکو میری کمزور سی آواز مل جانے پرکیوںدانت کاٹنے لگتا ہے۔ کیوں خوفزدہ ہوجاتا ہے۔‘‘ پیپلزپارٹی کے وجود اور اس کے سیاسی فلسفہ پر تنقید کرنے والوںکو جب تک طبقاتی تضادات کا تاریخی مطلب سمجھ میںنہیں آتا انقلاب کا مطلب بھی نہیں سمجھایا جاسکتا۔ انقلاب ایک خوبصورت لفظ ہے۔ انقلاب تاریخ کی قوسِ قزح ہے۔ انقلاب کا مطلب ہے ناانصافی اور عدم مساوات کا خاتمہ، استحصال اور آمریت کا خاتمہ۔ انقلاب کا مطلب ہے نوع انسانی کی آزادی، جمہوریت پسند عوام کا حق خودارادیت، نسل پرستی کا خاتمہ اور مجبور قوموں کیلئے انصاف کے اصولوں پر مبنی نیا عالمی اقتصادی نظام۔ ذوالفقار علی بھٹو کے سیاسی وجدان نے آج سے 40برس پہلے ہی پیش گوئی کردی تھی۔ ’’عوام پاکستان پیپلزپارٹی کے ساتھ ہیںاور میری قیادت کے حامی ہیں۔ ماضی میں بھی میری پارٹی کا شیرازہ منتشر کرنےکی سازشیں ناکام رہیں۔ اس وقت اور آئندہ بھی ان سازشوں کے مقدر میں ناکامی کے سوا کچھ نہیں۔ انقلابی جماعتیں نہیں بلکہ رجعت پسند جماعتیں آسانی کے ساتھ ٹوٹ جایا کرتی ہیں۔کیک اور حلوے پر ان کا شیرازہ منتشر ہوجاتا ہے لیکن صحیح معنوں میں انقلابی جماعت نہ ٹوٹتی ہے، نہ تقسیم ہوتی ہے کیونکہ عوام فاقوںکوتقسیم نہیںکرتے۔ املاک کے حصے بخرے کرنا ممکن ہے لیکن غربت کی تقسیم ممکن نہیں۔ پاکستان پیپلزپارٹی ملک کی سب سے بڑی قومی جماعت ہے۔ اسکی جڑیں ہر جگہ ہیں لیکن سندھ اور پنجاب میں یہ جڑیں بالکل غیرمتزلزل ہیں۔ عظیم عوام کی یہ عظیم جماعت سیاسی آدم خور نہیںبن سکتی۔ یہ صوبائی عصبیت میں الجھ کر اپنے ہی ہم جنسوں کو نوالہ نہیںبنا سکتی۔ جس طرح ایک فوج اپنا اسلحہ خانہ تباہ کرکے جنگ نہیں لڑ سکتی، اسی طرح پاکستان پیپلزپارٹی اپنے سیاسی درخت کی شاخیں نہیںکاٹ سکتی۔‘‘ ذوالفقار علی بھٹو سے لے کر بینظیر تک بھٹو خاندان کے ہر فرد نے اپنی زبان سے ادا کئے ہوئے ایک ایک لفظ کو اپنے خون سے جلا بخشی۔
‘‘بھٹو صاحب نے اپنی بیٹی سے کہا ’’میرے بعد زندہ رہنا تو ایک بہادر کی طرح اور مرنا تو ایک دلیر کی طرح‘‘ اور اس کی بیٹی نے یہ وعدہ اپنا خون دے کر نبھایا۔ پیپلزپارٹی ا ور بھٹو خاندان کے ساتھ پاکستان کے عوام کا رومانس جاری ہے۔آمریت اور اس کی باقیات کے خلاف جمہوریت پسند نبردآزما ہیں۔ آج آصف علی زرداری اور بلاول بھٹو اس بینظیر جنگ کے سپہ سالار ہیںاور یہ جنگ اس وقت تک جاری رہے گی جب تک محروم طبقوں کی امیدیں زندہ اور پیپلزپارٹی سے وابستہ ہیں۔
https://jang.com.pk/news/581927-muhammad-saeed-azhar-column-01-12-2018
#PPP51stFoundationDay - War against terrorism is our war, says Bilawal
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Friday said the war against terrorism is our war, criticising Prime Minister Imran Khan for saying that was not Pakistan’s battle.
The PPP chairman was addressing a political gathering in Sukkur with regard to 51st Foundation Day of his party, being observed across the country on Friday with a commitment to further promote and safeguard the party’s ideology.
The PPP chairman was addressing a political gathering in Sukkur with regard to 51st Foundation Day of his party, being observed across the country on Friday with a commitment to further promote and safeguard the party’s ideology.
Speaking about the use of religion for political gains, he said religion should not be dragged in politics, however, added that dictators used it for politics in the past.
“The fire in which the entire country is burning today was ignited by the dictators,” the PPP chairman said, stressing need to return to Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto’s philosophy.
He said Islam is a religion of peace and tolerance, but this great religion was defamed on the pretext of terrorism.
Bilawal said this fire of extremism, terrorism and non-tolerance has engulfed the society.
“What would have the heirs of martyrs felt when the prime minister said this is not our war,” he asked, adding, “Khan sahib whether you admit or not, this is our war.”
‘Leader stands by his commitment with people’
The PPP chairman also told the prime minister that a leader is the one who stands by his commitment with the masses.
He said if a person wants to become a leader then he should learn from ZA Bhuttoand Benazir Bhutto, who did not bow down before dictators.
Bilawal said the ones aspiring to become leaders should also learn from the PPP workers, adding, “A leader fights for his people.”
During his address, he also slammed the rulers for taking U-turns on their promises made with the people.
‘A favourite was handed over whole country’
The PPP chairman further said previously they were up against one ‘favourite’ individual, but now another has entered the field.
“This is a unique blue-eyed boy who asked for a moon to play, but was handed over the whole country,” he said. “The fate of this favourite will not be different from the previous one.”
Bilawal said this ‘favourite’ says one thing during the day and the other at night, and keeps taking U-turns one after another.
Former president and PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari also addressed the gathering. Delegates from all the provinces as well as Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan also attended the event.
The PPP was launched at a convention in Lahore on November 30, 1967. At the same meeting, Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was elected as its chairman.
Among the key objectives of the party were “establishment of an egalitarian democracy and application of socialistic ideas to realise economic and social justice.”
http://www.thesindhtimes.com/sindh/war-terrorism-war-says-bilawal/
Bilawal Bhutto fires salvos against PM Imran at PPP’s Foundation Day
- The PPP chief says religion should not be used for political gains
OP-ED PPP: A phoenix in national politics
Mian Aamir Hassan
Politics is generally termed as a science or art relating to a social activity, where people form and improve the rules which we all live by. No doubt, the politics is the art with the help of which the politicians attain the seemingly-impossible goals without violence, and political parties are the institutions to serve the nation and protect its interests, both at home and abroad.The party rises from the ashes after every effort to wipe out its existence, since its rivals can kill a man but not an idea.
Pakistan is a federation which requires at least a political party to have representation in all the federal units of the country. It was none other but Zulfikar Ali Bhutto who founded a political party whose contribution in nation building is palpable in all the federal units of our country. It would not be wrong to say that PPP is the only political party which has true representation of the masses across the country. If truth be told, the party has tied the nation in a single chain of unity.
On 30 November 1967, Pakistan People’s Party was founded at a time when the country was divided on ethnic lines and no single party had representation in the areas that form the present day Pakistan. Within years, the Pakistan People’s Party gained popularity and filled the gap. Since then, the party has been playing the role of a federal political party even at the cost of its leaders’ lives. Now the nation’s interests and the party’s goals are so interwoven that you cannot damage the former without hurting the latter.
The history witnesses that most of the parties in arena, nowadays, have either been founded by powers-that-be or work as their extension. Having no genuine vote bank, these parties have to play political gimmicks to attract sub-nationalities. On the other hand, PPP not only respect the voices of such nationalities, also it binds them into Pakistani nationhood since PPP is the only party to do so. On all occasions, PPP has proved itself to be a federal political party. You can find its voters and supporters everywhere from Khyber to Karachi in great number. People’s party is considered the true representative of Pakistan all over the world. That’s the reason, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto used to be invited to deliver lectures on different forums across the globe.
It was Zulfikar Ali Bhutto who presented true picture of Pakistan in the world; Benazir Bhutto amplified his vision and mission and, now, Chairman Bilawal Bhutto is all set to play its part for the betterment of Pakistan. We know that Pakistan People’s Party was created under the dynamic leadership of Shaheed Zulifkar Ali Bhutto who gave hope to the people of Pakistan already pressed under a decade long rule of a dictator. Commemoration of Foundation Day is about uniting the people of Pakistan in general and the workers of PPP in particular, having a sense of belonging with the legacy Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto bequeathed to the nation.
It was Zulfikar Ali Bhutto who presented the true picture of Pakistan in the world; Benazir Bhutto amplified his vision and mission and, now, Chairman Bilawal Bhutto is all set to play its part for the betterment of Pakistan
The foundation day reflect the Pakistani people’s true commitment to PPP due to sacrifices made by the leaders and the workers time and again. With sacrifices they sowed the seeds of tolerance and other democratic virtues in national politics. We know that tolerance breeds tolerance while intolerance begets violence.
The national politics of present day Pakistan is a true example of the same. It is PPP that kept its cool throughout in history despite the worst kind of oppression inflicted on it by the rivals. The slogan of ‘Pakistan Khappey’ was raised by the veteran politician Asif Ali Zardar at a time when the whole country was presenting the scene of lawlessness after the martyrdom of Mohatarma Benazir Bhutto. In fact Mr Asif Ali Zardari has played the same role to get the party as well as the country united after the tragic martyrdom of Benazir Bhutto, which had once been played by Madam Nusrat Bhutto after heartrending assassination of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. She stood firm against the tyrannical oppression of dictator Ziaul Haq and did not let the party fall apart. True to say, no other woman can claim to be of her stature as far as the sacrifices for the party and the people of Pakistan are concerned.This is the day which sends us a reminder to engage with our workers while sticking to the values introduced by the founding fathers of the party. We are well aware that the dictators tried their best to depoliticize the society just to reinforce their own agendas. In this way they dug deep the foundations of this country. In such times, the PPP stood tall against the aggression and violence aiming at its leaders and workers. The presence of Pakistan people’s party on national political scene is the evidence that the party is on true path. No lie can be a substitute to the truth and no party can replace PPP.
One can easily judge that there exists no party like PPP as far as its philosophy, sacrifices and legacy is concerned. The nation is indebted to Zulfikar Ali Bhutto who infused a new spirit in the nation and spread political awareness. It was he who realized the nation with the slogan: All Powers to the People. You can find political clowns copying Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s style but in vain, since his style is the legacy bequeathed to his family alone.
Today the air is abuzz with the slogan of change. The real change, in fact, was introduced by Bhutto who elevated common man and allowed them to enter national assembly and other top forums. It was the change brought by Bhutto alone. With a tweet, you cannot bring about a diplomatic miracle on foreign policy front. Again I would refer the character of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto who refused to yield before the superpower despite threats to his government and life. He dreamed to witness the ummah united under the banner of Islam, brought China in friend’s circle, raised Kashmir issue all over the world, got the 90000 war prisoners released and so on. This is called foreign policy and the real change. Of course, PPP has set a good example of change and never used abusive language in the politics as it has been fashioned today.
People’s party is fortunate enough to provide mature leadership to the nation in the form of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Benazir Bhutto and Bilawal Bhutto. Now 51st Foundation Day of PPP is going to be celebrated with a pledge and passion to revive its lost glory in the days to come under the dynamic leadership of Chairman Bilawal Bhutto who is inspired with the vision and mission introduced by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto. He has rekindled the hope among the masses through his commitment, resilience and dedication.
The visible and invisible forces have always been in quest to tamper the history and erase the sacrifices made by the workers and the leaders of the people’s party from the collective conscious of the nation. For this purpose, they hatch conspiracies and toil day and night but in vain. The rivals adopt measures to damage the image of the party and malign the leadership as said by Joseph Goebbels,
“If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it.”
But they forget that Abraham Lincoln has already said,
“You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.”
No doubt PPP represents the legendry bird phoenix in the history and national politics of Pakistan. The party even rises from the ashes after every effort to wipe out its existence since its rivals can kill a man not an idea.
#یوم_تاسیس #ppp51 #51FoundationDayOfPPP Bilawal, Zardari to address on PPP’s Foundation Day in Sukkur today
The Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) on friday is observing it’s 51st Foundation Day (Youm-e-Tasees) across the country.
According to details, the PPP’s foundation day’s main event will be held in Sukkur, Sindh. The Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari will address the gathering today.
PPP’s Punjab General Secretary Chaudhry Manzoor informed the media that the party workers from all the provinces as well as Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan will also attend the ceremony.
He further said that a committee had been already formed by the PPP chairman in order to make arrangements for the occasion.
“Bilawal will also talk about the party’s future political strategy and discuss the failure of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) government’s 100-day agenda”, the PPP’s Punjab general secretary added.
The PPP was launched on November in 1967 at a convention in Lahore and Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was elected as its first chairman.
https://dailytimes.com.pk/328066/bilawal-zardari-to-address-on-ppps-foundation-day-in-sukkur-today/
Thursday, November 29, 2018
#PPPFoundationDay #PPP #51YearsOfPPP #Pakistan - #PPP Zulfikar Ali Bhutto!!!! - (January 5, 1928-April 4, 1979) - Bhutto still rules hearts and minds
By: M Waqar
The possibility of the secular, democratic Pakistan that he had in mind, like Pakistan 's founder, Jinnah has earned ZAB the title of Quaid-i-Awam . Z. A. Bhutto has still more charisma than any politician in Pakistan. Mr Bhutto was inducted into office as the President of Pakistan in 1971 and was removed in 1977, both events took place around midnight; one in the wake of a war and the other in the shadow of a civil war. In between he gave the country what even his sympathizers and admirers would concede was a 'strong' government, he mobilized his country's first mass-based political party around a socialist ideology and highly independent foreign policy. Pakistan's modernizer Zulfikar Ali Bhutto left deep footprints in the sands of history.
He gave voice to the voiceless and power to the powerless of the country. He helped them shape their own destiny and the destiny of their country. He was a man of honour who gave honour and raised the honour of his country and his people. He was able to do this because the people of the country from Khyber to the shores of the Arabian sea in Karachi loved him and supported him. Bhutto brought back 90,000 prisoners of war, prevented their war crime trials and also restored the territory lost on the battlefield. As leader of the Third World he spoke boldly against racism, colonialism and imperialism. He fearlessly defended the right of nations to independence. When the 1973 Ramazan war broke out, he sent Pakistan's military to defend the borders of the Muslim countries, including the Golan Heights of Syria. ZAB's short life of 50 years was spent in the service of many international, regional and national causes. The most important and the most enduring legacy of the Quaid-i-Awam was raising the consciousness of the people for democracy. He awakened the masses, making them realise they were the legitimate fountainhead of political power. He enlightened the farmer, the industrial worker, the student, the woman and the rest of the common people of their importance and of their right of franchise, which is the definite means of bringing changes for the betterment of the lives of the common people. Z. A. Bhutto's rule brought a transformation of Pakistan's rules of the game, a new populist style of governance, a new governmentality, he favoured a much more active role of the state in relation to society, he reshaped the economic and political landscape of Pakistan. He reached out to masses, aroused their feelings and disciplined their minds. The role of Bhutto family in the uplifting of the poor is unforgettable.
The last chapter of his life is a glorious example of martyrdom for the cause of resurrection of democracy. At the time of his overthrow, Bhutto was emerging as a spokesman of the World of Islam and the leader of the Third World. The age of Bhutto was an Age of Revolution, he was the architect of the China Policy, Pakistan Steel Mill, Agriculture Reforms. Although his life and career were cruelly terminated, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto will forever shine in history as one of the Great leaders who took part in the liberation of the Third World from the yoke of Imperialism and Neo Colonialism during the Twentieth Century. He could have easily entered into a deal, as others did, at the cost of principles, to save his life and move out. How cruel it strikes to bring down such a sincere leader like Bhutto with rare caliber, competence and integrity, Bhutto never colluded with generals, he confronted them. Mr. Bhutto remains a memorable figure . He commanded the allegiance of millions of people inside Pakistan, across the Muslim world and in the Third World as a hero of the people. His leadership gave pride to his followers, to his Nation and to oppressed people everywhere. He conquered the hearts of a Nation through supreme qualities of leadership, vision, intellectual breadth, charisma, dauntlessness, bravery, boldness and a programme for political redemption of an exploited people, he built the foundations of education and industrialization in the country. He liberated the small farmers and peasants from the repression and cruelty of big landlords and banished the jagirdari and sardari system declaring that all citizens are born equal and must live with equal rights. The Taliban, the terrorist groups and the new war against terror are the direct result of the overthrow of the modernizing government of Z. A. Bhutto and its replacement by a clique of military officers that cynically used the name of religion to promote their own illegal stay in power. Quaid e Awam was murdered but his memory lives on in the monuments he built. It lives on in his ideas. And it lives on in the hearts of all men and women who believe that humanity can only progress when there is tolerance, freedom, dignity and equal opportunity for all. Pakistan survived due to the leadership of a bold and courageous leader, a people's leader, who had the vision to break the shackles of poverty to emancipate his people and lead them into a new decade of glory, strength and achievement. Quaid e Awam built the most modern schools, colleges, universities, professional colleges, vocational training institutes, including Quaid-e-Azam University, Allama Iqbal Open University, Chandka Medical College and many others. He built hospitals to take care of the sick and poor. He opened the way for the middle classes to develop and prosper in the fields of medicine, engineering , law and other specialist studies. He introduced peaceful nuclear energy to help treat cancer setting up the first cancer treating institutes in the four provinces of Pakistan. He built roads in the tribal areas and the Northern areas knowing how poor and oppressed people in the distant areas of Pakistan were. Internationally, using his experience as Foreign Minister, he hosted the Islamic Summit Conference in Lahore. It was at this conference that the Palestinian Liberation Organization was recognized as the authentic voice of the Muslims. He advocated closer relations with the Muslim countries arguing for a common economic bloc with banking and other financial institutions long before regional blocs became identified as the economic way forward. Bhutto pushed politics out of the posh drawing rooms into real Pakistan - into the muddy lanes and villages of the poor. Bhutto's inspiring leadership filled Pakistanis with hope, energy and strength.
Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, knew that there can be no sacrifice greater than the sacrifice for the people whose respect, honour and dignity is the respect and dignity of the Nation. Quaid e Awam made the people proud of themselves and of their Nation. The 20th century has seen many great leaders, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto is one of them. Due to his glorious achievements, Mr. Bhutto rules the hearts of the Pakistani people from his grave. He was not only the leader of Pakistan, he was the leader of an Islamic world, the leader of Third World. He will forever be remembered by his countrymen as Quaid-e-Awam. As his followers say, "Zinda Hai Bhutto, Zinda Hai"--Bhutto lives, he lives. Indeed he does, in the hearts of all those who dream of a better tomorrow.
Long Live Bhuttoism….
The possibility of the secular, democratic Pakistan that he had in mind, like Pakistan 's founder, Jinnah has earned ZAB the title of Quaid-i-Awam . Z. A. Bhutto has still more charisma than any politician in Pakistan. Mr Bhutto was inducted into office as the President of Pakistan in 1971 and was removed in 1977, both events took place around midnight; one in the wake of a war and the other in the shadow of a civil war. In between he gave the country what even his sympathizers and admirers would concede was a 'strong' government, he mobilized his country's first mass-based political party around a socialist ideology and highly independent foreign policy. Pakistan's modernizer Zulfikar Ali Bhutto left deep footprints in the sands of history.
To his lasting credit remains the 1973 Constitution of the country, the Shimla Accord of 1972 which brought the longest peace between India and Pakistan, the social reforms to build an egalitarian society, the non-aligned foreign policy, the nuclear programme and the building of the social, economic and military infrastructure of the country. He was a thinker, author and orator. He was deliberate, discreet, and competent; honest, upright and keeper of his covenants. He was a friend of the poor, downtrodden and oppressed. Fearless in his beliefs he refused to bow before any man or power other than the Almighty. His courage was such that he preferred to face death for his beliefs and embraced martyrdom. He had profound faith in freedom and the liberation of humanity. Under his government, Pakistan gave overt and covert support to the African nations than under apartheid and minority rule. He rejected fanaticism. He gave pride to the poor.
He gave voice to the voiceless and power to the powerless of the country. He helped them shape their own destiny and the destiny of their country. He was a man of honour who gave honour and raised the honour of his country and his people. He was able to do this because the people of the country from Khyber to the shores of the Arabian sea in Karachi loved him and supported him. Bhutto brought back 90,000 prisoners of war, prevented their war crime trials and also restored the territory lost on the battlefield. As leader of the Third World he spoke boldly against racism, colonialism and imperialism. He fearlessly defended the right of nations to independence. When the 1973 Ramazan war broke out, he sent Pakistan's military to defend the borders of the Muslim countries, including the Golan Heights of Syria. ZAB's short life of 50 years was spent in the service of many international, regional and national causes. The most important and the most enduring legacy of the Quaid-i-Awam was raising the consciousness of the people for democracy. He awakened the masses, making them realise they were the legitimate fountainhead of political power. He enlightened the farmer, the industrial worker, the student, the woman and the rest of the common people of their importance and of their right of franchise, which is the definite means of bringing changes for the betterment of the lives of the common people. Z. A. Bhutto's rule brought a transformation of Pakistan's rules of the game, a new populist style of governance, a new governmentality, he favoured a much more active role of the state in relation to society, he reshaped the economic and political landscape of Pakistan. He reached out to masses, aroused their feelings and disciplined their minds. The role of Bhutto family in the uplifting of the poor is unforgettable.
Z A Bhutto is the first person in Pakistan who has given voice to the common people. Z. A. Bhutto remains alive in hearts of millions of Pakistanis. It was a miracle that in less than half a decade a defeated nation had become a significant entity in the comity of nations. Pakistan had friends all around the globe from Africa to the far corner of Asia and from Europe to South America. We were regarded as a nation which had proved itself. Pakistani manpower was exported in the Middle East and the statesmanship of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had started bearing fruit. Under Z A Bhutto's rule, a new vision of Pakistan was born. Within a few years of the defeat in 1971, Pakistan began to see itself not as some beleaguered non-entity in South Asia, as the Indian establishment was prone to see it, but as a strategically located middle-sized power straddling the two worlds of South and West Asia, uniquely poised to take advantage of a host of geopolitical possibilities and enjoying widespread support among the Islamic states. He is one of the few Pakistani leaders that energized the nation and gave it a sense of optimism. Z A Bhutto, saw the future of Pakistan.
Like Jinnah he outwitted Indira Gandhi at Shimla and formed alliances with various world leaders, from Sadaat, to Boumediene to Qaddafi to Faisal. Pakistan survives today because of those alliances that enabled him to build the Nuclear bomb. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto understood the geo-political realities of the region. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto has earned a place in the pantheon of leaders from the Third World who earned everlasting fame in the struggle against colonialism and imperialism. He had the privilege of interacting with many of those leaders who played a great role in the epic struggle for national independence in the 20th century, including Mao Tse Tung, Ahmed Soekarno, Chou-en Lai, Gamal Abdel Nasser and Salvador Allende. During the period between the end of the Second World War and the end of the Cold War, the world was divided into two blocs: The Capitalist West and the Socialist East. All these leaders aspired to aspects of a socialist pattern of economy. Bhutto shared their faith in a leading role for the public sector as an instrument of self-reliance. Bhutto's foundation of the PPP was a setback for the reactionary forces in a country long dominated by the Right. The slogan of "Food, Shelter and Clothing" shifted the focus of Pakistan politics from theological to economic issues. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had the courage of his conviction to decide to lay down his life rather than compromise or seek appeasement.
There was a sense of purpose and direction in the country in pursuit of peace and prosperity. The economic growth rate increased and money poured in from expatriates who got the universal right to passport. The Muslim countries donated roughly $500 million annually to Pakistan, freeing it of international financial institutions. The people got jobs and opportunities. Women of the country were emancipated entering the police force, Foreign, Civil Service and subordinate judiciary for the first time in the country's history. There is a story that the American President John F. Kennedy was much impressed with the then Foreign Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. When they met, Kennedy walked with him in the Rose Garden and said, "Bhutto, if you were an American, you would be in my Cabinet". To which Zulfikar Ali Bhutto smilingly replied, "No, Mr. President. If I were an American, you would be in my cabinet". Z A Bhutto, was highly skilled negotiator and an international statesman, he secured the agreement between USSR and Pakistan, he signed an agreement with China on demarcation of the Sino-Pak boundary. When he became President, Pakistan had innumerable problems, but he was not a man to be cowed down by knotty problems, he was in fact, a dynamo of inexhaustible and boundless creative energy, he was born to solve problems , he had to tackle the problems of shattered country by a methodical system of fixing priorities. Bhutto the adroit politician and statesman tackled the difficult problems of his country one by one with devotion, determination and patriotic zeal and solved them successfully. Since his assumption of power this great man of vision and destiny, equipped with resolute will, extraordinary intelligence and seething patriotic zeal fought successfully against the landlords, capitalists, industrialists, religious fanatics, corrupt bureaucrats, saboteurs, foreign intriguers and spies, he stood like a rock against all odds and achieved national unity, he worked hard for the emancipation of the exploited working class and illiterate masses. His cruel and barbaric murder by military despots caused revulsion across the globe, Z A Bhutto dedicated his life to remove the sorrows from the hearts of the poor and the oppressed, to remove the tears from the children of his poor nation. He lived consciously to make history and to leave a legacy in the form of the development of his nation, his fight was a fight against the policies of IMF, which serve to perpetuate the backwardness of the developing nations.
Bhutto is rightfully credited with saving Pakistan at this dark moment in its history, as French President Giscard d'Estaing said, "he was the man who incarnated Pakistan at a dramatic hour of its history. Tolstoy in the last volume of his War and Peace expressed that history is a movement of ideas in which political leaders play a minor role. Sometimes the movement of ideas is indeed rapid. Yet, at times, the movement of ideas is slower than the melting of the glaciers. The movement of ideas is facilitated in a vibrant political and democratic culture, which gives room for dissent and disagreement. In dictatorial societies, history remains static in a cold freeze. And so it was in Pakistan before Quaid-i-Awam. He was the one who converted that static and decayed dictatorial polity into a vibrant and dynamic democratic society; the cost of which he paid with his own life. He who gave his blood, and the blood of his sons and daughter,
Long Live Bhuttoism….
#PPPFoundationDay #PPP #51YearsOfPPP #Pakistan - #PPP celebrates 51st Foundation Day today
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) is all set to celebrate 51st Foundation Day today (Friday) with vigour and commitment to the ideology for which the leadership and workers sacrificed their lives, Dunya News reported.
The main function of the 51st Foundation Day of PPP will be held in Sukkur in which delegates from all the provinces, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan will participate.
A public meeting in connection with the 51st Foundation Day of PPP will be held at Z.A Bhutto Sports Complex Sukkur at 3:00pm. PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and other party leaders will address the gathering.
All arrangements for the public meeting have been finalized. A stage has been set up to accommodate PPP leaders. The venue has been decorated with posters and party flags while thousands of chairs have been placed for the workers.
Strict security arrangements have been made for the public meeting. Heavy contingents of police have been deployed on all roads around Z.A Bhutto Sports Complex for security of PPP leaders and workers.
https://dunyanews.tv/en/Pakistan/468390-PPP-celebrates-51st-Foundation-Day-today
#PPP51FoundationDay #PPP as a single chain of unity
Barrister Mian Aamir Hassan
Politics is generally termed as a science or art relating to a social activity, where people form and improve the rules which we all live by. No doubt, politics is the art with the help of which the politicians attain the seemingly-impossible goals without violence, and political parties are the institutions to serve the nation and protect its interests, both at home and abroad.
Pakistan is a federation which requires at least a political party to have representation in all the federal units of the country. It was none other but Zulifqar Ali Bhutto who founded a political party whose contribution in nation building is palpable in all the federal units of our country. It would not be wrong to say that PPP is the only political party which has true representation of the masses across the country. If truth be told, the party has tied the nation in a single chain of unity.
On 30 November 1967, Pakistan People’s Party was founded at a time when the country was divided on ethnic lines and no single party had representation in the areas that form the present day Pakistan. Within years, the Pakistan People’s Party gained popularity and filled the gap. Since then, the party has been playing the role of a federal political party even at the cost of its leaders’ lives. Now the nation’s interests and the party’s goals are so interwoven that you cannot damage the former without hurting the latter. The history witnesses that most of the parties in arena, nowadays, have either been founded by powers-that-be or work as their extension. Having no genuine vote bank, these parties have to play political gimmicks to attract sub-nationalities. On the other hand, PPP not only respect the voices of such nationalities, also it binds them into Pakistani nationhood since PPP is the only party to do so. On all occasions, PPP has proved itself to be a federal political party. You can find its voters and supporters everywhere from Khyber to Karachi in great number. People’s party is considered the true representative of Pakistan all over the world. That’s the reason, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto used to be invited to deliver lectures on different forums across the globe.
It was Zulifqar Ali Bhutto who presented true picture of Pakistan in the world; Benazir Bhutto amplified his vision and mission and, now, Chairman Bilawal Bhutto is all set to play its part for the betterment of Pakistan. We know that Pakistan People’s Party was created under the dynamic leadership of Shaheed Zulifqar Ali Bhutto who gave hope to the people of Pakistan already pressed under a decade long rule of a dictator. Commemoration of Foundation Day is about uniting the people of Pakistan in general and the workers of PPP in particular, having a sense of belonging with the legacy Shaheed Zulifqar Ali Bhutto bequeathed to the nation.
The foundation day reflect the Pakistani people’s true commitment to PPP due to sacrifices made by the leaders and the workers time and again. With sacrifices they sowed the seeds of tolerance and other democratic virtues in national politics. We know that tolerance breeds tolerance while intolerance begets violence. The national politics of present day Pakistan is a true example of the same. It is PPP that kept its cool throughout in history despite the worst kind of oppression inflicted on it by the rivals. The slogan of ‘Pakistan Khappey’ was raised by the veteran politician Asif Ali Zardari at a time when the whole country was presenting the scene of lawlessness after the martyrdom of Mohatarma Benazir Bhutto. In fact President Zardari has played the same role to get the party as well as the country united after the tragic martyrdom of Benazir Bhutto, which had once been played by Begum Nusrat Bhutto after heartrending assassination of Zulifqar Ali Bhutto. She stood firm against the tyrannical oppression of dictator Zia ul Haq and did not let the party fall apart. True to say, no other woman can claim to be of her stature as far as the sacrifices for the party and the people of Pakistan are concerned.
This is the day which sends us a reminder to engage with our workers while sticking to the values introduced by the founding fathers of the party. We are well aware that the dictators tried their best to depoliticize the society just to reinforce their own agendas. In this way they dug deep the foundations of this country. In such times, the PPP stood tall against the aggression and violence aiming at its leaders and workers. The presence of Pakistan people’s party on national political scene is the evidence that the party is on true path. No lie can be a substitute to the truth and no party can replace PPP.
One can easily judge that there exists no party like PPP as far as its philosophy, sacrifices and legacy is concerned. The nation is indebted to Zulifqar Ali Bhutto who infused a new spirit in the nation and spread political awareness. It was he who realised the nation with the slogan: All Powers to the People. You can find political clowns copying Zulifqar Ali Bhutto’s style but in vain, since his style is the legacy bequeathed to his family alone.Today the air is abuzz with the slogan of change. The real change, in fact, was introduced by Bhutto who elevated common man and allowed them to enter national assembly and other top forums. It was the change brought by Bhutto alone. With a tweet, you cannot bring about a diplomatic miracle on foreign policy front. Again I would refer the character of Zulifqar Ali Bhutto who refused to yield before the superpower despite threats to his government and life. He dreamed to witness the ummah united under the banner of Islam, brought China in friend’s circle, raised Kashmir issue all over the world, got the 90000 war prisoners released and so on. This is called foreign policy and the real change. Of course, PPP has set a good example of change and never used abusive language in the politics as it has been fashioned today.
People’s party is fortunate enough to provide mature leadership to the nation in the form of Zulifqar Ali Bhutto, Benazir Bhutto and Bilawal Bhutto. Now 51st Foundation Day of PPP is going to be celebrated with a pledge and passion to revive its lost glory in the days to come under the dynamic leadership of Chairman Bilawal Bhutto who is inspired with the vision and mission introduced by Zulifqar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto. He has rekindled the hope among the masses through his commitment, resilience and dedication. The visible and invisible forces have always been in quest to tamper the history and erase the sacrifices made by the workers and the leaders of the people’s party from the collective conscious of the nation. For this purpose, they hatch conspiracies and toil day and night but in vain. The rivals adopt measures to damage the image of the party and malign the leadership as said by Joseph Goebbels, “If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it.”
But they forget that Abraham Lincoln has already said.
“You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.” No doubt PPP represents the legendry bird phoenix in the history and national politics of Pakistan. The party even rises from the ashes after every effort to wipe out its existence since the rivals can kill a man not an idea.
https://nation.com.pk/30-Nov-2018/ppp-as-a-single-chain-of-unity
#100Days100UTurns #TabdeeliKay100Din - #Pakistan - Opposition leaders take to social media to slam PM’s 100-day ‘achievements’
The two major opposition parties are predictably dissatisfied with the government’s performance in its first 100 days in office, with both the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Peoples Party (PPP) asserting that Prime Minister Imran Khan has come up with a set of new promises to the nation rather than announcing the achievements of his team during the period.
The PML-N is also set to issue a ‘white paper’ on Friday in an attempt to expose the government’s performance.
PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari was quick to assert that the government had not done anything because it was busy making ‘U-turns’ instead of trying to serve the people.
PML-N leader and former interior minister Ahsan Iqbal said the prime minister’s speech did not include any achievement of the government but offered a set of new promises to the nation. He said the prime minister’s remarks lacked substance.He said the speech did not mention any step to increase power generation, ensure economic growth or broaden the tax base. He said the ruling party’s flagship slogan was eradicating corruption but it wound up the Ehtesab Commission in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa soon after coming to power.
He said a lack of governance in the country had already prompted people to start comparing the governments of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and PML-N.
The PML-N leader said her party would apprise the people of the U-turns and failures of the government. Meanwhile the people could continue searching for PTI’s performance online because that’s where most of its promises were delivered, through fancy graphics and lip service, she added.
She said the prime minister should have told the people that the country’s foreign reserves had plunged from $17 billion to $11 billion, the value of rupees had dropped to the lowest level, foreign debt had increased by Rs900 billion, foreign direct investment was down 67 per cent, development budget had been cut by 35 per cent and 400,00 people had lost their jobs.
PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s spokesperson Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar said the prime minister had no success to offer after the completion of 100 days of his government. He said the period had been spent only in forming more and more committees on various issues.He said the one who had shown the nation the dreams of a new Pakistan had broken the back of middle class people through a tsunami of price hike. The unusual increase in the prices of electricity, gas and petrol had caused economic hardship for the people, he added. Political interference in police and bureaucracy had exposed the claims of bringing about a change and the government had made the begging bowl the main feature of its foreign policy, he said.
The senator said the prime minister should hand over to the National Accountability Bureau his financial supporters who owned property abroad. Prime Minister Imran should have looked at least once at the people sitting in front of him before speaking about accountability, he added.
Another PPP leader and senator Sherry Rehman said that first 100 days could be best described as, “A bonfire of vanities”. She added that the government is yet to escape confrontation politics of the past.
The senator also said the good governance requires building bipartisanship confidence.
She claimed that the nation hoped they would be apprised on the initiatives to be rolled out in the near future, however, only more PTI rhetoric was given by PM Imran.
#PPP will continue struggle against anti-democratic forces: Asif Zardari
On the eve of 51st Founding Day of Pakistan Peoples Party, the former President of Pakistan and President Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians Asif Ali Zardari has expressed his resolve to follow the ideology of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and philosophy of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto.
Former president said that the PPP leadership and workers have set an example of historic struggle against tyranny and injustices.
Asif Ali Zardari said that the PPP reiterates its resolve to keep striving for the rule of law and supremacy of Parliament.
He said that PPP restored the 1973 constitution and made the Parliament all-powerful thus realizing the dream of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, gave identity to the people of KP and Gilgit-Baltistan.
The PPP will continue to fight against those who want to see the Parliament weakened, he concluded.
Message of Chairman Bilawal Bhutto on the eve of PPP’s 51st Foundation Day
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has said that he would keep struggling to attain the goals set by Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto. The legacy of these two apex leaders is the true hierarchy of the party and the leadership and the designees and Jiyalas are all set to work harder for the cause.
In his message on the eve of PPP’s 51st Foundation Day, the PPP Chairman expressed his firm resolve to follow the ideology of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and philosophy of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto. “PPP leadership and Jiyalas have already showed their devotion by setting up an example of their untiring efforts with firm trust in their leaders”, said the PPP Chairman adding that “Their role and contribution would be written in history and their struggle against the forces of tyranny and injustices would bear fruits sooner.”
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari vowed that the party will keep striving for strengthening the democratic institutions, the supremacy of the Parliament and a workable justice system and rule of law.
He said the PPP had offered the 1973 constitution, gave Pakistan status of being invincible through nuclear programme, remedied the wounded Pakistan in 1971, drove India to reach the historic Simla Accord, made the provinces autonomous and devolved powers to the provinces and the Parliament. The Party leadership made the Parliament all-powerful as per the vision of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto. Khyber Pakhtoonkhawa and Gilgit-Baltistan got identity during PPP’s government and the farmers had for the first time in history started getting appropriate price of their crops.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that there is no question about party’s unending struggle for strong democracy and those, who are working against the democracy and the supremacy of the Parliament would be defeated.
https://mediacellppp.wordpress.com/2018/11/29/message-of-chairman-bilawal-bhutto-zardari-on-the-eve-of-ppps-51st-foundation-day/
US company's opera on Benazir Bhutto's life to debut next year
A noted American opera company is to produce an opera on the life and legacy of Benazir Bhutto, a former prime minister of Pakistan, who was assassinated in 2007, according to a media report.
Created by Mohammed Fairouz, an eminent Emirati-American composer, and Mohammed Hanif, an award-winning Pakistani novelist, "Bhutto" will premier in Pittsburgh, a city in US state of Pennsylvania, next year.
"The opera focuses on Benazir Bhutto''s extraordinary life and the influences upon her, and the effect that her stand for women and their ability to lead has had on the world stage," Pittsburgh Opera General Director Christopher Hahn was quoted as saying by The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Fairouz, 30, a rising star in the opera world, was described by The New York Times as "an important new artistic voice" and by BBC as "one of the most talented composers of his generation." The Post-Gazette reported early in 2016 that Pittsburgh Opera had co-commissioned the opera about the life of Benazir Bhutto intended to premiere in 2018. The premiere was quietly pushed back for financial and artistic reasons; it is now set to debut in the 2019-20 season.
On Nov 13, the report said, the artistic minds behind the new work visited Pittsburgh to workshop the opera with full orchestra and chorus in the opera headquarters, an essential step in the creation of a production and a chance to display the work to potential donors to shore up financial support.
Musicians, lead singers and soloists performed each act in its entirety, occasionally pausing briefly to talk through a passage, it said.
A panel that included Pittsburgh Opera''s general director Hahn, composer Fairouz and librettist Hanif and others offered notes during intermission breaks.
Composer Fairouz was quoted by The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette as saying that he began thinking about the Bhutto story six years ago.
"Everybody has an opinion about Bhutto," Fairouz said.
"It's often very personal, very passionate. As a composer you feel compelled to do something — and then you're like an animmal sniffing at truffles trying to uncover why it''s interesting," he said.
"When you write an opera, you have to start with research to find out why the story or idea compels you so much."On his part, Hanif said, "I knew nothing about opera of classical music. I was of course familiar with Bhutto as I grew up living in that reality. Growing up, you either loved them or hated them.
As soon as [Mohammed Fairouz] suggested Bhutto as an opera I said yes. It's a bizarre story, really over the top for a novel. The father was hung, one brother poisoned, one brother shot. It''s a perfect fit. Really, each family member could have their own opera."
Hanif pointed out that current members of the Bhutto family are still active in Pakistani politics.
"We're telling a story," Hanif said. "It's a family story that centers on power. It's not intended to be divisive, but it's political, so of course it will be. But that's not a bad thing."
Wednesday, November 28, 2018
#Pakistan - Fatima Bhutto flays Imran Khan’s ‘opportunistic’ politics
“My criticism of Imran Khan’s politics has been that I don’t see any conversation with women in his politics. I don’t see a conversation that empowers the provinces. I see a lot of opportunism in it,” she said in an interview to NDTV.
“We have a lot of cases of a lot of fear and intimidation and unfortunately I don’t really see that this government is taking any steps to reverse that. If anything its furthering that,” said the daughter of Benazir’s slain brother Murtaza Bhutto.Fatima, unlike her cousin Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, has stayed away from politics, preferring writing instead. Her fifth book, a novel called “The Runaways” is likely to hit the shelves later this month.
“I was encouraged from a young age by my father to write and to read a lot. I don’t think it is a divorce from politics, I think a lot of what I write is very political,” she said. “He’s a young man. He has been through a lot of trauma and violence. I hope he will be well and I wish him only well as a person. I prefer not to really comment on the politics of it all,” Fatima remarked when asked to comment about politics of her cousin Bilawal.
The young writer said she was averse to social media.
“Twitter has become so murky… It has become a platform for a lot of aggression and a lot of hate. Instagram I mean I don’t really understand what its redeeming qualities are because it is basically just people competing with each other and you know this terrible narcissistic one-upmanship. Facebook – I want nothing to do with it ever.”
By News DeskPublished: October 12, 2018
Pakistan - Dear prime minister, it’s not looking good, is it?
BENAZIR JATOI
Beyond U-turns and knee-jerk reactions, the government of the day is doing something far more dangerous, which has gone largely unnoticed in the ‘tweet of the day’ culture we currently live in. Under its slogan of a ‘new Pakistan’, an overzealous government is slowly chipping away at our constitution’s core principle of parliamentary sovereignty and the democratic values that flow from this.
Winston Churchill once famously said, “When the facts change, I change my mind.” Perhaps that is whom the prime minister should have referred to, when giving examples from history to justify the numerous U-turns he has become synonymous with. The problem for our prime minister, however, is that the underlying facts do not change, only the level of pressure from various quarters does.
The prime minister’s U-turn on seeking assistance from the IMF illustrates this point well. The premier, and the government, were fully aware of Pakistan’s economic situation when they announced, while in opposition, that, if elected, the PTI would not take any loans from international donors, and in particular, from the IMF. Yet, last month the government formally sought financial assistance from the IMF. There were no significant changes in the economics facts to warrant such a volte-face. We have seen a similar story play out with CPEC. The government initially halted CPEC projects, saying, in the first instance, that the projects will be assessed before taken forward. Without carrying out the assessments they said were necessary to assess the economic efficacy of the project, the government now says CPEC will go ahead more or less as planned under the previous government. Again, the underlying facts have remained the same. If some of the CPEC projects represented poor economic value three months ago, they still do so today. As with the IMF volte face, what has changed is the level of pressure the government has felt from various quarters.
As a result of the government’s consistency in being inconsistent, people are now arguably more wary of outright and immediate praise of the PTI — waiting instead to see, if and when, the government changes its mind and reverses its position. Unsurprisingly, and for good reason, people are calling the government out because decisions are being taken and then reversed. In the government’s defence it could be said that political parties always make promises in opposition, which then have to be reversed when faced by the cold reality of being in government, or a change of policy is a sign of a government that is prepared to listen. However, the problem is that there have been so many significant U-turns in such a short space of time that one cannot help but think this is a government, which after only three months in office, is controlled by events and is not in control of events.
However, beyond the many U-turns there is something worse, far more dangerous, that this government is doing, even if unwittingly. That is its disregard for, or perhaps the non-recognition of, the sanctity of parliament and the democratic traditions that are attached to it. Dicey, the well-known English constitutional theorist, said that “the sanction which constrains the boldest political adventurer to obey the fundamental principles of the constitution and the conventions in which these principles are expressed, is the fact that the breach of these principles and of these conventions will almost immediately bring the offender into conflict with the courts and the law of land.” Pakistan is still a young democracy, structurally looking for reinforcement through convention, tradition and norms based on democratic values. The government, however, is not playing by those rules, instead priding itself for being different from the rest of the political elite. And in that shows its lack of years and wisdom, because it fails to acknowledge and understand that no matter how far it pushes for change the framework in which it can succeed can only be and remain constitutional and democratic.
An important part of any properly functioning parliamentary democracy is the recognition by the government of the day of the need to continue those policies or projects of the previous government that work. The current government’s failure to take forward the previous government’s initiatives, which have proven to work, is another example of a government that needs to rethink the nature of the change they seek to bring about. The most significant example of this lack of continuity is Multan’s violence against women’s centre. Despite the centre’s shortcomings, it was an unprecedented and undeniable success, providing abused women with a ‘one stop shop’ access to the formal system. In circumstances where the government should clearly continue previous successful programmes, the government does everything in its power to put an end to them — seemingly to demonstrate that there will be change for change’s sake. On the other hand, when the government gets an across-the-board applaud for showing leadership and speaking to the religious right, it reverts to exactly what the previous government did — surrender to chaos and further uncertainty. All in the name of bigotry and rhetoric. A prime example of the bruises parliamentary democracy is taking is the fact that the chairpersonship of the parliamentary Public Accounts Committee, the most important committee in the House, is still vacant. Under recent parliamentary tradition, the Leader of the Opposition should be appointed as chairperson of the committee. The current government’s apparent anxiety over this issue shows that this government is not entirely ready for its parliamentary role. Perhaps what is most troubling is the government seeming disdain for parliament and its proper role in our democracy. The prime minister’s addresses to the nation should, in fact, be on the floor of House, and seldom on television or Twitter, particularly ones that give weight to the writ of the state. Important members of the cabinet leaving parliament in the middle of a session should be under extraordinary circumstances, not an everyday occurrence. Parliamentary language should now move on from “you are corrupt and we will prove it” to the introduction of legislation, policy, tough decisions and being held accountable as the government of the day. Knee-jerk reactions are the work of unseasoned politicians — and Pakistan on the brink of economic crisis and in the depths of the repercussions of ‘golden handshakes’ with ‘religious representatives’ — cannot afford those. It seems clear that due to its lack of experience, this government is ‘learning on the job.’ Unfortunately, in the process of its ‘learning’ period, democratic foundations are being harmed and the various institutions of government are being further damaged. Attempting to push boundaries for the sake of it and at the expense of further shaking the fragility of democratic values is dangerous waters to enter into. And breaking rules that do not reinforce the constitutional framework makes us all losers in this Naya Pakistan.
Dear Prime Minister, it’s looking worse than we thought, isn’t it?
https://tribune.com.pk/story/1854808/6-dear-prime-minister-not-looking-good/
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)