Economic, political betrayal?
By Saba Gul Khattak

There is a fundamental disconnect between the wishes of the voters and policies that their elected representatives have ushered in post-February 2008.

The elections constituted an anti-Musharraf vote and a vote for peace. The clear message was that people were tired of the policies of the military regime in civilian garb. For many people, the issue of the rule of law was critical hence they voted for the restoration of the judiciary.

For a majority of Pakistanis, the frequency of suicide bombings and intensity of direct violence was terrifying. Over 70 such bombings happened over the course of nine to ten months between July 2007 and March 2008. This combined with other forms of violence — military operations in Baluchistan and Fata, police brutality, targeted killings, kidnappings and disappearances — made people vote for peace. The election results were seen to be mass rejection of militancy and radicalization. It was a vote against the status quo.

Yet, four months down the line, the status quo continues. The secular political parties that espoused democratic values have made dubious deals that betray their election promises, their ideals are sorely discouraging for their party workers. Thus, many assert that the present PPP is not the PPP of the Bhuttos and that the present ANP is not the ANP of Bacha Khan. The PPP workers are disappointed that Gen Musharraf continues in power and the PPP continues to work with the same economic team that is responsible for the mess that the country is presently in. The PPP leadership has even appointed Hina Rabbani Khar to her old position to signal continuity of economic policies.

Prime Minister Gilani has also reassured foreign lenders that the policy of privatization and liberalization will persist. This implies that the poor will suffer more. Sadly the PPP draws its electoral strength from some of the poorest districts of Pakistan. The urgency to implement social protection lies in the four to five suicides daily due to rising prices. This urgency is lost on the economic team as the newly proposed safety nets for the poor are far from being implemented.

For example, the Benazir Card, announced amidst fanfare and made part of the budget, is yet to be institutionalized through NADRA and even when it is, it will cover only seven million of the 40 million people living below the poverty line. We know that the poorest and most vulnerable do not have computerized NICs — thus the manner in which the poor are to be targeted is fundamentally flawed. The same apathy is repeated with minimum wage for labor announced two months ago. No concrete steps are in sight for implementation.

On the political front, the election results gave mixed signals. The implications of different political parties doing well in particular provinces caused concern. Yet the formation of a coalition government at the centre indicated that a strong federation where the federating units could work harmoniously, upholding provincial autonomy, was a new reality.

The subsequent cracks between the PPP and PML-N pertaining to the restoration of the judiciary have been disappointing. Even more disappointing for many PPP and ANP party workers in Sindh, especially in Karachi, is the deal with the MQM, which enjoys the support of the president. In May 2007, the MQM resorted to violence and killings in Karachi at the behest of the establishment. How could the PPP and ANP forget those whose lives were sacrificed while defending principles and justice in the face of armed intimidation?

But, the great betrayal is the manner in which the ANP has signed peace deals with militants in Swat. This has repercussions for the entire country as the same style can be repeated elsewhere. The provincial coalition government has released the militants without confiscating their arms. Thus, the militants are back in Swat, terrorizing the local population. The ANP supporters in Swat, many of whom have lost near and dear ones in the recent confrontations and suicide bombings feel alienated. They question the right of the provincial government to grant amnesty to murderers on their behalf.

Forgiving crimes against citizens implies a breakdown of the social contract and constitutional rights. The duty of the state is to provide justice, not let criminals loose on the very people whose fundamental right to life and livelihood the criminals have violated.

What can be the possible reason for the lag between the ANP and PPP election promises, vision and subsequent actions? Both were firmly against military dictators but are happy to work with one whom they call a ‘relic of the past.’ The ANP got a vote to end militancy in the province, not to let militants terrorize those who bravely refused to allow them to operate in places like Kalam. With popular support behind them in Swat, why has the ANP bargained from a position of weakness rather than strength?

Afrasiab Khattak was opposed to policies that he said were crafted by the ISI and the military in Islamabad. He was a staunch supporter of decision-making through parliament. Yet, the terms of the peace deals were neither debated in the provincial assembly nor within the ANP itself.

How is such a disconnect possible? The answer lies in Pakistan’s complex political realities and flawed democracy. The involvement of intelligence agencies and international powers in the political twists and turns of Pakistani politics is all too well-known. What has become more obvious with time is the extent to which the people of Pakistan continue to be betrayed both economically and politically by those they repose their trust in. If the ANP and PPP were more accountable to the people of Pakistan than their foreign and domestic masters, they would enjoy increased popularity and it would be difficult to destabilize them.

They must realize that their strength lies in the poor people of this country who long for peace and prosperity. If they play the dangerous proxy games of other actors and feel ‘powerful’ by brokering dubious deals, they will continue to suffer paralysis from the lack of vision and direction that they are presently exhibiting.

The writer is a researcher in political science.

(Source: Dawn

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