Pakistan Presidency: Challenges for Zardari

Asif Ali Zardari is now the elected president of Pakistan, currently undergoing turbulence of all sorts. The victory in Pakistan's presidential election of Asif Zardari, husband of assassinated former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, represents an extraordinary turnaround for the most unpredictable politician in the country - and even a "mistrusted" leader by the anti-Islamic nations.

Almost non-existent for decades except for a brief period when he was a minister of Investment under Benazir Bhutto, Zardari was thrust into the centre stage after his wife's assassination in December 2007, when he became the de facto leader of their Pakistan People's Party (PPP). He spent eight long years in jail while Pervez Musharraf was president and was released in 2004 as part of political haggling between General Musharraf and Ms Bhutto. Many doubted his ability to lead the country's largest political party. Others speculated the end of "democratic politics" in Pakistan and simply said it marked the beginning of the end for the PPP. But thus far, thanks to Pervez Musharraf and Nawaz Sharif, Zardari has proven them all wrong.

Effective politicking

Zardari has proved to be the very shroud politician of the time to lead one of the most troubled, particularly one of the most important Islamic, nations of the globe. So far he has very cautiously used his cards to is advantage. Pakistan, ill-focused by its immediate neighbor India and threatened by another neighbor Afghanistan is facing serious political and economic and security troubles.

After the PPP's success in February's elections, Zardari engineered a coalition government that included the PPP's historical rival, the PML-N of former Prime Minster Nawaz Sharif. Zardari then played a Machiavellian game in which the two men worked to force President Musharraf to resign, rather than risk being impeached. After slow-peddling with the Sharif's issue of reinstatement of judges, however, Zardari over "“turned issue almost completely once Musharraf was out of scene. Zardari then locked horns with Sharif, refusing to fulfill pledges to restore all judges sacked by Musharraf or to reduce the powers of the president. In fact, Zardari announced that he himself would stand for president, rather than support Sharif's option of supporting a non-partisan person for the post. As a result, Sharif fully disenchanted with Zardari tactics, opted to leave the coalition. PPP and PMLN are now at logger heads now. 

With the resounding victory, president Zardari can deal with all problems facing the country now. However, he could be facing a longer term all-out battle with Sharif, the most popular politician in the country, that many believe could eventually wipe out the PPP. The PPP has made it clear to the US and the army that it needs as much power as possible, and that means having PPP people as president and prime minister.

Mega Plan

Pakistan needs a comprehensive plan to take the nation ahead in tune with the economic progress the world has made so far. Zardari confidantes say he has a grand master plan developed by Benazir. It starts with a deal with the country's most powerful institution, the army. Zardari's government will protect their interests, taking into account the army's foreign strategic concerns and making sure its share of the national budget is well stocked. The PPP sources say they would be able to offer the one thing the United States most wants, all-out war on the Taleban and their al-Qaeda associates using Pakistan's full resources.

The PPP leadership is keen future could be guaranteed for the next generation of PPP leadership. This would be done by using the massive aid Pakistan expects to receive in return for its "good performance" in the "war on terror". The government will ensure a steady supply of aid and equipment from the US to meet the army's needs to keep up with its giant neighbor, India . In return, the army will go all out to defeat the militants in Pakistan's tribal areas and keep out of national politics. The plan would be to spend most of the aid in deeply rural areas where Pakistan's closest political battles are fought - the southern Punjab, eastern North West Frontier Province and northern Sindh province.

An Observation

And now Zardari, who until very recently was playing behind-the "“scene- roles and had only been "Mr. 10%" under Benazir Bhutto, has become "Mr. almost 100%". With Musharraf removed and Sharif sidelined, Zardari will have enough freedom and time to reschedule Pakistan's policies in cool mindset. First of all, Islamabad should consider tentative policies to revamp social and economic priorities and it should not depend too much on US "free" money, for killing Muslims in Pakistan, not only because it killing of Muslims pleases the anti-Islamic nations, including USA and India, but that is unhealthy , considering the plight of Pakistan now.

While the continued Pakistan-US ties are absolutely necessary for Islamabad to keep Indian at bay and stop it from trying any fresh tricks on this Islamic nation. But Zardari could use his majority authority to make Pakistan's sovereignty supreme by avoiding  to kill Muslims and let US military kill them on payment basis.

The resignation of Pervez Musharraf - the Pakistani military strongman who ignored the differences of opinion within his turbulent Muslim country and declared it to be an ally of the United States in the "war on terror" and got Muslims killed and transported to Washington, should remain a reminder for Zardari if thinks of continuing the same policies Musharraf pursued. Zardari cannot over-look the fact that Kashmir, India and the USA were the reasons for Musharraf's misfortune and bad luck and the same could haunt the Zardari regime too and unless handled with care, he will end up more pathetically than Musharraf did. Kashmir freedom, anti-Americanism and hatred for India's anti-Pakistanism are at heart of majority of Pakistanis and Kashmiris and all appeasement policies and settlements are resisted by Pakistan people. Historically bound cultural traditions and links between Pakistanis and Kashmiris should not be let decided by the terror military forces occupying Kashmir now.

Already the media in the West and other anti-Islamic nations like India have come out with stories  and villain-like pictures of Zardari and soon they would launch anti-Zardari campaign too because he might not play into the anti-Islamic forces of the world. But that should bother the new presidency, provided it pursues purely pro-people policies and do not make Pakistanis die in order to appease USA or get applause form New Delhi. Pakistanis are so keen that Indian media say something good about Pakistan at least occasionally, but the fact remains India is incapable of doing that.

For president Zardari the problems have yet to start, although one political uncertainty in Pakistan after Musharraf's departure is resolved now with a new incumbent. Zardari has attributed the political development in Pakistan, from February poll, the PPP victory to the resignation of Musharraf, to the victory of people and he should give substance to that claim by taking up the people's issues and solve them on priority basis along with resolving the Kashmir issue to the satisfaction of the freedom fighting masses of Kashmir.

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Thank you

Yours Sincerely,

DR.ABDUL RUFF Colachal

Researcher in International Affairs,

South Asia