Mian Sahib has ordered the arrest of two officials of the Federal Investigation Agency without batting an eyelid. So much for the writ of the government in Islamabad. In the old days, if the Balochistan or the NWFP Chief Minister had as much as looked Islamabad in the eye, the army would have rolled in and chucked the entire cabinet into the clink in Hyderabad, there to cool its heels, awaiting trial for ‘treason’ against the ‘solidarity and integrity of the federation of Pakistan’. But the times, they are a’changin’.
Mian Sahib absolutely ‘hates’ the PM, or so we are told by associates close to him. He will go to any lengths to dislodge Ms Bhutto. It doesn’t much matter to him what happens to the democratic process in the meanwhile. Conspiracies, abusive language, blatant disinformation campaigns, publication of secret government documents, efforts to instigate rebellion in the ranks, everything is fair game in his war on Benazir Bhutto.
There is a method in this madness. The idea apparently is to provoke the federal government into over-reacting to his pinpricks, to keep Islamabad on a reactive backfoot, as it were, to ensure it cannot get on with the job of government and consolidation. Nothing will hurt Mian Sahib more than efficient and cohesive PPP governments at the Centre, NWFP and Sindh which are able to address the problems of the people. The longer the PPP takes in settling down and getting its real act together, the greater the chances that it will stumble from one position to another and create a royal mess of things. This would be fine, just fine, for Mian Sahib.
There is no Punjab-Centre conflict at hand. There is, however, an acute and antagonistic Nawaz-Bhutto contradiction which is becoming increasingly irreconcilable with each passing breath, and reminds one ominously of the Zia-Bhutto days. If we are yet again fated to witness the clash of an irresistible force (BB) with an immovable object (NS), then there is going to be more thunder and lightning and the country is destined for a severe drenching instead of the long-awaited days of glorious, blue, democratic sunshine.
The PPP must not fall into Mian Sahib’s trap, despite all the provocation in the world. He is a desperate man given to desperate measures. If his actions are perceived to be unconstitutional, the proper response is to refer these to the courts rather than to pay him back in kind.
Having said all this, Islamabad must take measures to ensure that the province of Punjab is not denied its rightful share of development funds. Genuine efforts must be made by the PPP government to win over Mian Sahib’s constituencies, especially the business and trading elites of Punjab. This cannot be done overnight because the hostility of these elites to the PPP is firmly grounded in the reality of the last twenty years. However, sound economic policies will pay rich political dividends and there is no better way to combat Mian Sahib than by courting these elites with efficient planning and implementation of sound economic policies.
That is why it is time we had a full-fledged Finance Minister who can inspire confidence and move the economy forward. There is no better man for this job in Islamabad than Mr Farooq Leghari. For too long, he has been sidelined for the wrong reasons. He has the experience and the ability to perform well and he is not a controversial figure, which is saying quite a lot in these stormy times. The business community will have no trouble warming to a man who is not given to histrionics or rhetoric.
Mr Farooq Leghari is the right man to combat Mian Nawaz Sharif, rather than Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan or Mr Iftikhar Gillani. Mr Leghari should be armed with development and employment generating projects, tax incentives, export subsidies, concrete measures for privatisation and public-sector reform of corruption and mismanagement. He must buttress the interests of the poor while ensuring that the fruits of development accrue not only to PPP sympathisers but also to ordinary people at large, including the business community.
If the PM can initiate swift and successful economic policies, she will inspire confidence all round and eventually take the wind out of the sails of Mian Nawaz Sharif & Co. There is no alternative to this strategy and no time to be lost.