Editorial
Pakistan at a historic crossroads
The challenge she faces is also an opportunity for her
THIS is perhaps for the first time in Pakistan's troubled history that she is going through challenging moments of extreme danger as well as genuine opportunity to emerge as an arbiter of its own destiny solely based on the long cherished aspirations of her people. The new Pakistan prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani heading a coalition government of Pakistan People's Party (PPP) and Muslim League (Nawaz) has taken a clear direction for change setting the tone and tenor of his government at the earliest opportunity.
His annulment of the detention of former chief justice Iftekhar Ahmed Choudhury along with other judges flies directly in the face of President Pervez Musharraf. To President Bush's telephonic greetings to Gilani on his assumption of premiership, he sounded sagacious saying that a comprehensive strategy combining political approach with development programmes is required to fight terrorism.
Similar sentiments were expressed by the incumbent prime minister and his ally Nawaz Sharif in their meetings with visiting US deputy secretary of state John Negroponte and assistant secretary of state Richard Boucher. The present Pakistani leaders have given them to understand that it is the national parliament that would decide on the anti-terror agenda, in what promises to be a sea-change from one-man strategy applied so far.
Not even an incurable optimist could visualise before the election such hopeful signs of democratic assertion reflective of the strength of popular verdict in favour of change would emerge. Pakistan's leadership is faced with the challenge of building internal democracy as well as the task of getting the people behind the fight against terrorism. The first requires the military defending the constitution in making democracy as government of the people, by the people and for the people work; and the second needs popular governance securing the cooperation of the people in the fight against terrorism.
It is for all practical purposes Pakistan's fight. Anti-terrorism agenda shouldn't be pushed down the throat of the Pakistanis by the USA. It must have to be formulated, owned and operated by Pakistan itself. Over and over again it has been proven that an elected political government and not diktat by any despotic ruler is best suited to fight terrorism.
We in the region take heart from the change of outlook in Pakistan's politics and wish the country and its people all the best in their journey towards democratic consolidation and advancement duly underpinned by containment of Islamic militancy.
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