Daily Times

One of the fun things I do every four years or so when the US primary campaign is in full swing is to compare US politicians with those in Pakistan. Most likely Obama and Biden will be re-nominated by the Democrats. The Republican field is however open. Before I proceed I want to assure my readers that these comparisons do not have any relationship to questions of past financial probity or physical appearance, especially matters pertaining to the amount of hair on their heads. A general observation is however in order. Prime Minister (PM) Gilani is the only major contender for the PM job in any future elections who still has his original head of hair.

So here I go. The first and inevitable comparison has to be between President Asif Ali Zardari and President Barack Hussein Obama. Both were elected in 2008 with a good majority and great expectations. Both, within a couple of years after being elected, were accused of incompetence or at least poor governance and both have now seen their popularity plummet. Both Obama and Zardari have a diehard part of the electorate that opposes them come what may. For Obama, around 15 percent of the US population opposes him because they believe that he is a Muslim and another 10 percent or so believe that he was born in Kenya and not the US. Essentially, much of this opposition to Obama is based on a simple fact that he is actually and not euphemistically an African-American.

For Zardari, about 30 percent of the Pakistani electorate opposes him just because he represents the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and is the son-in-law of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. Just as Obama cannot change the colour of his skin or his parentage, Zardari cannot change the fact that he was the husband of Benazir Bhutto Shaheed. Another similarity between the two is the fact that the Republican Party in the US that sits in opposition has at this time a single agenda: Obama should not be re-elected as president. That is exactly what the opposition in Pakistan wants for Zardari.

Coming down the line, as we look at the Republican candidates and the serious contenders for future power in Pakistan, there are many similarities. The next in line is Mian Nawaz Sharif. He by any estimation at this time must be considered a possible PM after the next election. In the Republican field, he reminds me of Newt Gingrich, the former speaker of the House of Representatives. Both have that world-weary look that comes from having been around for a long time. And having been in positions of power in the past makes both of them relative moderates when compared to some of the newer contestants for the nomination that tend to be a bit extreme in their politics.

The next person to consider is of course Mian Shahbaz Sharif, the chief minister of Punjab. The younger Sharif reminds me entirely of Rick Perry, governor of Texas. However, Mian sahib does have some similarities to Mr Perry’s predecessor as governor of Texas who went on to become the president of the US, George W Bush. Mian sahib, like GWB, is a ‘decider’ and makes all decisions for the province he is chief minister of. And like GWB declaring ‘mission accomplished’ in the Iraq war that was still going on when he left office, Mian sahib keeps declaring victory over the dengue epidemic every so often even while people are still dying from it every day. But like Rick Perry, Mian sahib has that entirely ‘macho’ Texan outlook, and attitude, sort of ‘my way or the highway’.

Now to our entirely urbane and impeccably dressed PM, Mr Gilani. For me he is almost a mirror image of Mitt Romney, former governor of Massachusetts who according to most US political pundits is the Republican most likely to defeat President Obama in the next election. Both PM Gilani and Mitt Romney represent pure pragmatic politics and have no real ideological centre. And both of them would, if needed, change their political stance to increase their chance of political success. But then that is not all bad. Ideological purity is often an impediment to governance.

As far as Imran Khan is concerned, even a few months ago if somebody had asked me about him I would have quoted the lyrics from a Beatles’ song: “He’s a real nowhere man, Sitting in his Nowhere Land, Making all his nowhere plans for nobody.” Almost overnight he has become an important presence on the Pakistani political scene. However, there is no single US politician in the race for US president that can be compared to him. Out of necessity, therefore, I must compare him to two of them. Sarah Palin, the former governor of Alaska and Republican candidate for vice president in 2008 first comes to mind. The other one is Herman Cain, a motivational speaker and former pizza magnate who is leading in opinion polls at this time. Imran Khan shares his extremely presentable persona with Palin and his grasp of the finer points of public policy and foreign affairs with the both of them.

Altaf Bhai of the MQM is not in competition for the position of PM but he might have an important role in determining who that person might be. Altaf Bhai is a unique presence in Pakistani politics and there is nobody even remotely comparable to him in US politics. Of course the Chaudhries of Gujrat must also be included in the mix. The elder Chaudhry is perhaps now an ‘elder statesman’ and not in the run for any political position but the younger one, Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi is definitely a ‘player’. If there is anybody who can be compared to Pervaiz Elahi, then it is probably Joe Biden, the vice president of the US. At best the both of them will play second fiddle to the person who comes out on top.

The writer has practised and taught medicine in the US. He can be reached at smhmbbs70@yahoo.com