We in Pakistan distribute sweets and congratulate each other when a government is packed, through whatever means, and people seem to take a sigh of relief and express the hope that all their problems would now be resolved and the country would be ushered in a new era of prosperity and progress. This has happened all along our over 61 years of existence as a nation.
When, after the February 18 2008 elections, two opposition parties emerged as major winner and the Pakistan Muslim League backed by then military dictator Pervez Musharraf lost the polls, the people said democracy has won and they have buried dictatorship for ever. With this they hoped that the 61 superior court judges headed by Iftikhar Mohahammad Chaudhry, who were dismissed by Musharraf a year back, would be restored soon after the new government took over. The opposition parties led by Musharraf’s rivals formed a government but the restoration of the judiciary did not happen. Only they were released from house arrest; yes this is a country where even judges not toeing the line could be imprisoned under any name.
The new government started giving lame excuses and did not restore the judges and accused Musharraf of hatching conspiracies against the government. Then Musharraf resigned under pressure and, with this, the nation expected that the judges would be back within 24 hours. Alas, that never happened. Less than a week after Musharraf’s departure, the coalition parties started fighting each other and the Pakistan Muslim League of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif left the coalition, accusing PPP chief Asif Zardari of not keeping his words for restoration of the judges.
People in Pakistan now say if the new champions of democracy were to follow Musharraf’s policies what was wrong with the general ruling the country. The new setup
has further compounded their woes by its failure to control rising inflation and law and order situation and there is no hope of a better tomorrow if Zardari comes to the president house on September 6.