Daily Times

Selected or elected prime minister, does it make any difference if the policies and agendas are dictated and directed by those who are not supposed to do it? If we review Pakistan’s history of “civil regimes” that is actually half of the total while the other half has been the total military dictatorial regimes. Unfortunately, even in so-called civil regimes, we don’t find any prime minister who was not directed, dictated or advised by the state institutions. Actually, they were selected, groomed and launched inorganically by those who we don’t want to interfere in the political system and fiddle around. It means, in fact, the political system and democratic process has always been engineered, built, renovated, refurbished and run by ‘them’, not by the votes of the people of Pakistan.

Another ironically alarming factor we see in our political history is that if some heads of the political government had gained some governance experience and political wisdom, and wanted to run their governments more independently and by the will and wishes of the people, they were maligned and thrown out of their governments.

Historic is the case of Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto as how lamely he was executed in a murder case where the judges later on admitted that they were influenced and forced to take the decision that not only severely impacted Pakistan’s democratic history but the region’s stability too. We lost a brave, bold, dynamic and futuristic republic leader of global stature and ethos in the filthiest dictatorial regime of General Zia ul Haq. He emerged as an inspirational and influential democratic leader in short span of time though President Field Martial Muhammad Ayub Khan launched and groomed him. We need to generously accept that Butto made mistakes too in a bid to curb and dilute the opposition.

What about very humble and obedient Prime Minister Muhammad Khan Junejo? He was brought in and later on kicked out of the ‘elected government’ by President General Zia ul Haq for ‘disobeying’ him, and not toeing the dictated policies. General Zia launched Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif as chief minister, and only a green signal from GHQ could help land Benazir Bhutto on Lahore airport, as reported.

PTI government is on the pitch, and perhaps would remain on for some time more or may be till the end of tenure despite all political, strategic and economic failures

The short-lived two tenures of each, PPP and PML-N, were also the result of failure of experimentation for the remotely dictated and run civil regimes. They were thrown out on the allegations corruption and other demons. Apparently the blames on all four shot-term democratic regimes look true but actual reasons were far beyond the visible symptoms.

Leadership of both the parties, PPP and PML-N, learned from their mistakes and found a way forward to jointly minimise the interference of dictated policies for a directed democracy or civil regime. They signed the Charter of Democracy, after having been grilled in the second longest dictatorial regime of General Pervez Musharraf.

The five-year tenure of PPP government (2008-2013) remained quite smooth in terms of working relationship between the government and state institutions. Good or bad, both played in their circles the way they wanted. Perhaps, both streams had an unwritten understanding not to fiddle around in the affairs of other party. No conflict arises even between the largest opposition party (PML-N) and the government despite many rumours of corruption and nepotism and wrong economic policies.

PML-N played quite friendly with the government despite all objections that were raised from the thin opposition parties in the parliament. Only embarrassing situation emerged for the PPP in the final leg of the tenure when it had to take up an in-house change of prime minister from Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani to Raja Pervez Ashraf.

Most important constitutional reforms were done including restoration of 1973 constitutions in its original form, enactment of the 18th, 19th and 20th amendments which provided provincial autonomy, transfer of presidential powers to parliament, smooth installation of caretaker governments and striking down of president’s power to dissolve the assemblies. Self-autonomy granted to the Election Commission of Pakistan and the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). Tough and clear stance against terrorism led operation in Swat despite opposition by Taliban and pro-Taliban political and religious political parties, and military operation in tribal areas.

I cited some of the achievements where the government and the state institutions had to be on the same page. Concluding it I would say, both can be on the same page when each of them enjoys full support and free hand from the other one though it would create rumours of many sorts.

On contrary, the PML-N tenure (2013-2018) had been turbulent, perhaps, miserable. The third time prime minister, Mian Nawaz Sharif was ‘alleged’ to control the state institutions. Secondly, as reported, he refused to be directed and dictated. He faced long marches and long sit-ins by the unpopular thin opposition parties who had been waiting for the ‘third-empire’ to raise finger against the government. But, the ‘third-empire’ had no option to get the government dismissed through the Presidency. The geo-political conditions around, and even the masses inland were not receptive to a direct action – the military takeover.

So the scuffle went on, and the people of Pakistan had to see the unprecedented and violent rise of Pakistan Tahreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) and the Labaik Ya Rasoolullah Tahreek (LYRT), a political party that blocked twice the main artery to the federal capital. Rumours turned reality, when a video went viral showing the uniformed personnel distributing ‘envelopes’ among the violent protestors of the LYRT while they were dispersed on the Supreme Court orders.

Rifts between the centres of power not only disrupted the routine public affairs in the recent past. Even the people of Pakistan had to face the economic brunt too despite many achievements and new initiatives of the previous government of PML-N. The third time prime minister had to face the Panama Leaks, Dawn leaks, allegations of pro-India policies and so on. A big dent to its popularity was noticed when Shahid Khaqan Abbasi had to replace Nawaz Sharif as the premiership of the country. The entire sequence of incidents reflected only a simple conclusion that even the civil regimes cannot be so civilian and free-handed to take the mandated decisions.

Nevertheless, the favourite such as PTI can play around the way it suits to it despite having more ills for which the previous governments were blamed for. But it’s OK for everyone as log as it accept the dictation. No worries even if the helm of affairs are being run quite adversely. PTI government is on the pitch, and perhaps would remain on for some time more or may be till the end of tenure despite all political, strategic and economic failures.

The writer is the Director Devcom-Pakistan, an Islamabad-based policy advocacy, strategic communication and outreach consulting