The year 1999 still haunts Prime Minister (PM) Mian Nawaz Sharif. During his interview with the Telegraph, he said that he wants to reconnect with his past and restart the journey from where he left 14 years back. This is not the first time Mian Nawaz has taken a stroll down memory lane. He is often found reverting to the year when he was forcefully ousted from power by the Pakistan army. He spent six months in jail, and suffered other humiliations before he was given a safe passage to Saudi Arabia, where he lived until 2007. According to Mian Nawaz Sharif, those were the best of times for Pakistan. Since his effort to bring economic glory to the country was cut short and his dreams truncated, he wants to resume his journey from the same position. He believes that Pakistan would have been a different country if his stint in power was not stunted twice and especially in 1999. What else could we expect from a PM about his previous tenures than fond memories laced with all the good things? The problem is that when Mian Nawaz Sharif talks about his ‘golden era’, the thinking process behind the reminiscence reflects grudges, rancour and bitterness, in spite of all the calmness that he tries to build in. That the previous regime of Mian Nawaz was on the right direction could be a fact for the PM but not necessarily for others. One can recollect many things to dilute this claim, such as the decision of choosing Pervez Musharaf as the army chief, ignoring merit; the storming of the Supreme Court, the Kargil episode that exposed the negligence and the sloppy grip of the PM over strategic national issues; last but not the least his desire to become ‘Amir-ul-Momineen’ (leader of the righteous). Therefore, it is advisable that the PM makes a fresh start, without breaking with his past, where he could return whenever the need arises for taking the right clue for new decisions. Things have changed. It is not the same Pakistan as it was in 1999. Terrorism and the energy crisis were not our national issues then. The economy though not in a very good shape, was not as sluggish as it is now. Another folly with the PM remembering his past is that it sets in despondency and disappointment in people. If he could feel the pulse of the time, it is change, hope and a new Pakistan that inspires confidence. These are the drivers of success that motivate. Nobody is interested in going back, because nobody believes there is anything positive stored there.
Talking about security, the PM said that his government is preparing the National Strategic Policy. He proposed giving one more chance to dialogue to settle the scourge of terrorism. For India, where Pakistan is again embroiled in a fresh spate of violence on the Line of Control, he reiterated his stance of finding peaceful solutions to all the issues pertaining to Pakistan and India, and considers the results of the by-elections a mandate for peace with India. On Pakistan-US relations, he finds the drone attacks the underlying irritant that needs to be removed. The better part of the interview was however, devoted to his economic ambitions by way of which he even sees making Gwadar a free port, a desire that he expressed while chairing a meeting on the Kashgar to Gwadar Economic Corridor. He said, “I have to make sure we do the right things, tread the right path and pursue the right policies…and not make any mistakes.”
Since coming to power, the Nawaz-led PML-N is making promises galore. Conceded that they are still finding their feet in office, but the problem is that the issues and difficulties confronting the country are getting bigger with every passing day. The threshold of tolerance has shrunk tremendously. So far it is not clear which way the new government wants to take the country. What precisely is its economic agenda, other than building more motorways? What are they doing to inspire investors’ confidence, both domestic and foreign? How do they plan rebuilding Pakistan’s image abroad? Unless a clear road map with a forward looking view is given, it would be difficult for the new government to rally the nation around its intent and aims, no matter how clean or sincere they might be. *