All the President’s men are subject to a strict scrutiny for qualifying for positions of prestige. The criteria for selecting men to rule in the present set up are based on the famous qualifications of character and competence. Anybody who does not fit in with these criteria is automatically screened from ascending the power ladder. The team selection capability of President Zardari is a natural process of finding like-minded people who can share his vision. His vision is simple to understand but difficult to sustain. He wants to perpetuate his stay on the top slot for as long as he can at whatever cost, and only those who share this vision and support it are likely to be around; the others will just cease to exist. Thus, this is the perfect recipe for fitting into the slot of a ‘yes’ prime minister who has blind faith in the inspiring leadership of the president’s ruthless and relentless pursuit of power.
The previous vacant post of the prime minister was under serious power pulling. Within the party, many candidates had the requisite qualities to fill the slot of what it took to lead the executive office of the country. After all, Mr Gilani has left a legacy that is difficult to replace. He set high standards of economic ignorance and public indifference. Some of the ‘classic’ interviews that he gave to some renowned international journalists, giving strange replies, were simply baffling for anybody who had the least bit of an idea of what humanity was all about. His ability to smile and dodge the most penetrating of queries exhibited an iron resolve never to admit the truth. Gillani’s ability to give new interpretations to constitutional clauses and his four-dimensional viewing of the healthy growth in the economy was a quality undoubtedly very difficult to emulate. His focus on getting loyalty at all costs was exemplary, a sterling example of how he rewarded people who could swear allegiance to him and dance at his beck and call, no matter how damaging for the country. The legacy that he has left is indeed going to inspire his followers to outdo him with even more zeal in setting new standards of loyalty to position and men in position, especially given the time constraint.
Thus, the criteria for nominations for the next prime minister were simple. He had to be a man with at least a couple of cases still in the waiting; preferably a former minister who had messed up ministries while in charge. Despite a tough competition within the party ranks where a lot of members met these conditions, the president decided to narrow down to a few names including Ahmed Mukhtar, Makhdoom Shahabuddin and of course, the ever green Raja Pervez Ashraf. Ahmed Mukhtar has the distinction of being the minister of defence where amongst other feats he distinguished himself by helping PIA produce record losses. In 2008, PIA had a deficit of Rs 40 billion, while now it has ballooned to Rs 120 billion. He had recently been swapped with Naveed Qamar to become the minister of water and power to make this ministry even more pathetic, if that is possible. Makhdoom Shahabuddin has been implicated in one of the biggest drug scandals in Pakistan. This performance has so impressed the president that he had nominated him for the prime minister’s seat. Despite the action taken against him by the court, he was still considered eligible as for this government, the court is a joke and many thought he might still be nominated. Raja Pervez Ashraf, who was initially nominated as the covering candidate, is an amazing case of how to be rewarded for incompetence. Having been charged on rental power project corruption that has cost this sinking economy almost Rs 400 billion, he had already been given a top civilian award and another ministry (IT and telecom). In addition, he is the now new executive in charge of the country.
If we think the other party candidates were any better we can think again. Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s unruffled political composure on his eligibility to become the prime minister reflects the belief of all politicians that the country is there for taking if you can ‘buck’ it up enough. The PML-N’s stance over having Sardar Mehtab Abbasi as the clean man reflects how desperate each party is to get the coveted seat of power. Sardar sahib may not have the glorious achievements of Raja Pervez but is far from clean with a wheat scandal behind him.
This desperation for position is even more bizarre considering that whosoever becomes the prime minister will be there for a few weeks, as no one will write the letter to the Swiss government, and will face the same fate as Gilani. Therefore, for just a cursory opportunity to be in the seat of power, people are willing to go to any lengths.
Such is the over-confidence of the government at getting away with all and sundry that they are truly smirking away any suggestion by media or analysts that such moves will kill their vote bank even further. They feel and express complete satisfaction on their strategy to buy votes at an unmatchable cost. That is why they are least bothered about the public protests and media backlash. However, they must remember that when the public is driven to the brink, there will not just be destruction of government properties like trains, but also government’s system of rigging. That is how in the last election they took their anger out on General Musharraf and that is how this time, they are likely to take their anger out at Mr Zardari and all his infamous men.
The writer is an analyst, consultant and the Information Secretary of the PTI Punjab and can be reached at [email protected]