By Sikander Hayat
Asif Ali Zardari is the 11th president of the Republic of Pakistan and due to Pakistan’s parliamentary system, he was elected by the majority of the members of the National Assembly, the four provincial assemblies and the Senate. Each provincial assembly has an equal say in the election of the president; because he is the president of Pakistan, President Zardari is my President and I have the right to point out the intended or unintended mistakes made by his administration.
My first and foremost problem with him and his administration is the general lack of cohesion and the backbone in the foreign policy matters. A lot of ministers in his cabinet are making statements which are disjointed, far removed from reality; at best cowardly and humiliating at worst.
For example, his defence minister Chaudhry Ahmad Mukhtar, when asked about the reasons behind the decision of declaring JuD a terrorist organisation, said that if that was not done Pakistan would have been branded a terrorist state. First of all, this is not true, as even countries like Iran, Syria although on the Bush’s so call axis of evil list are not on any terrorist register. Hizbullah, which operates openly out of Lebanon has not caused USA to declare Lebanon a terrorist state and there are many other examples.
My second point is that USA is not in a position, with its army stuck in the quagmire of Afghanistan, to declare Pakistan a terrorist state and then have to not only deal with Afghanistan but Pakistan as well. Thirdly, what sort of message is being sent out, that come and kick us in the balls as during the Mumbai crisis, it was more often than required that Zardari administration came very close to accepting responsibility by calling the terrorists ‘non state actors’ acting out of but without the provision of Pakistan.
Mr Zardari, even before the Mumbai attacks bent over backwards to please the Indians; especially when during a live televised question & answer session with the cream of Indian journalist and intelligentsia he said and I quote “ There is a little bit of Indian in every Pakistani and a lit bit of Pakistani in every Indian”. At that very moment I thought; has he gone mad, does he not know that peace is never guaranteed by the submission to the enemy but in the knowledge of mutual destruction. Off course I would be the first person to say that Pakistan needs peace with India as in today’s world no country can afford to be in the perpetual sate of war. It is bad for the national psyche, it is bad for economy, it is bad for democracy and most other things but there is a right way to do things and there is a wrong way to do things.
Lets take an example from North America, two countries which were settled at the same time, have the same language, same religion, same geographic location but never had any major disputes. Yes I am talking about the United States of America and Canada. Has there been any threat from America to Canada ever to invade or to its sovereignty, the answer is never and never has any Canadian leader stood up and said that there is a littlie bit of Canadian in every American and a littlie bit of American in every Canadian.
Pakistan and Indian can have good relations based on the American – Canadian model and can live together side by side peacefully and with dignity but never ever should a leader of Pakistan say anything like what Mr Zardari said.
Here are the few things which will help the Zardari Administration:
1. It is a difficult time but who said that government was easy and Mr Zardari must realise it as soon as possible
2. Mr Zardari and his cabinet ministers must understand how to represent Pakistan in the International and national media because each and every word which comes out of their mouths has the potential of either humiliating Pakistan or preserving it.
3. Members of government must speak with one voice and stop spewing out random statements every time they come in front of media
4. Next time India blames Pakistan for anything – sever all diplomatic ties and bring back all the staff from India, stop all land, air, sea links and shut down the border completely. These measures are drastic but against a country which is hostile and at your throat all the time, pretty normal indeed
5. Mr Zardari, do not try to explain away crimes like Indian violation of Pakistani airspace, it is New Delhi’s job to do that
6. Mr Zardari, its is a time to be a statesman, so behave like one by not disrespecting the will of the Pakistani people and by not calling Pakistan the sick man of Asia because by making these statements, you are only making a fool of yourself but a fool of us all
Asif Ali Zardari is the 11th president of the Republic of Pakistan and due to Pakistan’s parliamentary system, he was elected by the majority of the members of the National Assembly, the four provincial assemblies and the Senate. Each provincial assembly has an equal say in the election of the president; because he is the president of Pakistan, President Zardari is my President and I have the right to point out the intended or unintended mistakes made by his administration.
My first and foremost problem with him and his administration is the general lack of cohesion and the backbone in the foreign policy matters. A lot of ministers in his cabinet are making statements which are disjointed, far removed from reality; at best cowardly and humiliating at worst.
For example, his defence minister Chaudhry Ahmad Mukhtar, when asked about the reasons behind the decision of declaring JuD a terrorist organisation, said that if that was not done Pakistan would have been branded a terrorist state. First of all, this is not true, as even countries like Iran, Syria although on the Bush’s so call axis of evil list are not on any terrorist register. Hizbullah, which operates openly out of Lebanon has not caused USA to declare Lebanon a terrorist state and there are many other examples.
My second point is that USA is not in a position, with its army stuck in the quagmire of Afghanistan, to declare Pakistan a terrorist state and then have to not only deal with Afghanistan but Pakistan as well. Thirdly, what sort of message is being sent out, that come and kick us in the balls as during the Mumbai crisis, it was more often than required that Zardari administration came very close to accepting responsibility by calling the terrorists ‘non state actors’ acting out of but without the provision of Pakistan.
Mr Zardari, even before the Mumbai attacks bent over backwards to please the Indians; especially when during a live televised question & answer session with the cream of Indian journalist and intelligentsia he said and I quote “ There is a little bit of Indian in every Pakistani and a lit bit of Pakistani in every Indian”. At that very moment I thought; has he gone mad, does he not know that peace is never guaranteed by the submission to the enemy but in the knowledge of mutual destruction. Off course I would be the first person to say that Pakistan needs peace with India as in today’s world no country can afford to be in the perpetual sate of war. It is bad for the national psyche, it is bad for economy, it is bad for democracy and most other things but there is a right way to do things and there is a wrong way to do things.
Lets take an example from North America, two countries which were settled at the same time, have the same language, same religion, same geographic location but never had any major disputes. Yes I am talking about the United States of America and Canada. Has there been any threat from America to Canada ever to invade or to its sovereignty, the answer is never and never has any Canadian leader stood up and said that there is a littlie bit of Canadian in every American and a littlie bit of American in every Canadian.
Pakistan and Indian can have good relations based on the American – Canadian model and can live together side by side peacefully and with dignity but never ever should a leader of Pakistan say anything like what Mr Zardari said.
Here are the few things which will help the Zardari Administration:
1. It is a difficult time but who said that government was easy and Mr Zardari must realise it as soon as possible
2. Mr Zardari and his cabinet ministers must understand how to represent Pakistan in the International and national media because each and every word which comes out of their mouths has the potential of either humiliating Pakistan or preserving it.
3. Members of government must speak with one voice and stop spewing out random statements every time they come in front of media
4. Next time India blames Pakistan for anything – sever all diplomatic ties and bring back all the staff from India, stop all land, air, sea links and shut down the border completely. These measures are drastic but against a country which is hostile and at your throat all the time, pretty normal indeed
5. Mr Zardari, do not try to explain away crimes like Indian violation of Pakistani airspace, it is New Delhi’s job to do that
6. Mr Zardari, its is a time to be a statesman, so behave like one by not disrespecting the will of the Pakistani people and by not calling Pakistan the sick man of Asia because by making these statements, you are only making a fool of yourself but a fool of us all
Very good post. Keep it up.
ReplyDeleteThe thing is an illetrate president like Zardari is expected to do these sort of blunders. My fear is Bhutto 1 (Zulfiqar)was cause of creation of Bangladesh and I hope Zardari doesnt any other of our parts on sale...
I am placing this on my blog as well. Hope you dont mind.