Democracy and nation-hood are not served on platters. History is a tumultuous, and often tragic, process. Ours has been especially so. But there are times to rejoice even in the long, hard march to freedom. That is why, as we stand on the brink of rediscovering our national soul, this is a moment to savour.
A toast to Mr Moeen Qureshi, a prime minister Pakistan can proudly boast of. By establishing a new yardstick for good government and giving us the fairest election since 1970, Mr Qureshi has redefined the meaning of political life. It is a legacy we should cherish and fight for if necessary.
A toast to Mian Nawaz Sharif. Gone is stilted child of the establishment. We now have a confident, popular leader who has finally come to age. This is no mean transformation. It augers well for a meaningful two-party system in the country.
Finally, a toast to Ms Benazir Bhutto. Here is a courageous woman who has braved the odds time and again. She richly deserves being prime minister today, not least because she was unfairly ousted from power in 1990 and then hounded from pillar to post by Mr Sharif. She has now been vindicated. We hope she will prove worthy of our trust.
We are not whistling in the dark. There is room for optimism. The political situation today is far more conducive to stable democracy than in the past. Ms Bhutto was an inexperienced and strident leader when she first became prime minister five years ago. Today, by building delicate alliances everywhere, she has demonstrated laudable political maturity. Who could have imagined that she would be able to disarm the ferocious Nawab Akbar Bugti, charm the perennial lone ranger Nawabzada Nasrullah, proffer the hand of friendship to the sulking Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi and bend before the obdurate Manzoor Wattoo? In 1988 she had debts to pay, so she stuffed her cabinet with useless loyalists and blithely ignored their indiscretions. All that is behind her now. She has already said that she will make-do with a small cabinet.
From 1988 to 1990, Ms Bhutto also had to contend with a hostile and powerful President, a politically ambitious army chief, a province in full-blooded revolt (Punjab) and a terrorist organisation (MQM) determined to fan ethnic warfare. Thankfully, no such roadblocks remain. The next President will probably be a consensus candidate. The 8th amendment has been capped by the Supreme Court. The current army chief abhors politics. Punjab is in a cooperative mood. And the MQM has been defanged. The opposition, too, cannot expect any untoward support from the establishment.
There is another dimension to the political situation which augers well for stability. After the dismal performance of politicians in recent times — nakes horsetrading, absurd lota-ism, futile long marches, dubious vote of no-confidence — political parties nd leaders are visibly on the defensive. Whatever moral authority they may contrived over the people in the past has evaporated after Mr Qureshi’s stunning revelations of corruption and nepotism in previous governments. They know that they are all on trial. They also know damned well that the army will not countenance further instability or another round of elections. They have got one last chance to deliver and if they don’t Mr Moeen Qureshi will surely come back to haunt them for a much longer period than the last time round.
Of course, this doesn’t mean that Pakistan under Benazir Bhutto is about to become an island of political stability or an engine of economic growth. Old habits die hard, hatchets are harder still to bury. Certainly, Mr Sharif will need adjusting to new realities much more than Ms Bhutto. He has been in power for nearly thirteen years. Life in solitary opposition will not be easy, especially because he is given to political posturing. The MQM, too, may take some hard knocking before it is able to climb off its high horse and learn to accept cold realities. The economy is in a mess, it cannot be turned around without some belt-tightening. This could prove difficult to stomach. Kashmir has once again become a potential flash-point for armed conflict, yet India remains burtally indifferent to peaceful negotiations. The United States continues to breathe down our nuclear programme and the demise of the discriminatory Pressler amendment is still not in sight. So we may definitely expect some hiccups along the way.
Ms Bhutto, meanwhile, might be advised a diet of simple do’s and dont’s. Don’t meddle in the army’s internal affairs, take GHQ’s advice on how to deal with the MQM. Don’t be haughty or inaccessible. Don’t condone corruption or inefficiency. Keep family and friends out of the cabinet. And live and let live with friends and foes alike. If Benazir Bhutto does this, Mr Sharif may huff and puff but he won’t be able to bring her house down.