People should come first

Nov.29, 2007

People should come first



WITH Pervez Musharraf being sworn in as president after he gave up the powerful post of army chief, another page has been turned in Pakistan's tumultuous history. The next natural step is the lifting of the state of emergency that Musharraf declared on Nov.3 and easing the atmosphere for smooth, fair and free elections to parliament.
Indeed, the key demands that Musharraf faces today is for an end to emergency rule, release of political prisoners, restoration the constitution and reinstatement of judges whom he replaced in early November.
Many were sceptical whether Musharaff would live up to his pledge to give up his military uniform immediately after the country's highest court confirmed the validity of his candidacy in the September presidential election which he won.
He has lived up to his pledge, although some could find fault with the way he went about doing it by ensuring that nothing would stand in the way of the Supreme Court upholding the legality of his candidacy and thus the presidential election victory.
Musharraf has already signalled his willingness to work with the political leaders of the country, including Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif, and "move forward towards a conciliatory, civilised, democratic and political environment in the future."
Bhutto and Sharif were absent at the presidential swearing-in ceremony on Thursday and speculation is high whether they would live true to their threat to boycott the parliamentary elections in January and insist on purusing a campaign that could keep the country unstable. If that is the case, then Musharraf could be expected to maintain the state of emergency until after the Jan.8 elections, which he has vowed to hold "come hell or high water."
At the same time, an election boycott by Bhutto and Sharif would seriously undermine Musharraf's effort to legitimise his rule through a democratic ballot.
Musharraf is playing his cards close to his chest and so are Bhutto and Sharif, and everyone is carefully watching the other and planning moves.
Whatever happens, ending the state of emergency should be Musharraf's top priority because that would add to the growing conviction among Pakistanis and the rest of the world that he is a man of his word.
Musharraf and the country's political leaders face the task of nation-building and set a process in place that would improve the quality of life in the country through socio-economic development. Add to that the growing militancy that is posing serious challenges to not only to the law and order situation but also national security, and then the mission becomes all the more tougher.
It would be a pity if any political worth his or her salt insists on settling scores and spoke the wheels of democracy and undermine the drive towards consolidating the security and stability of the country.
Let us hope, for the sake of the ordinary people of Pakistan, it would not be the case.