There can be little doubt that the political uncertainty currently gripping Pakistan is leaving a void that extremists are exploiting with impunity
It is hard to say if the present moment in Pakistan may be described as that country’s worst crisis period in a long time. But there can be little doubt that the political uncertainty currently gripping Pakistan — characterised by open confrontation between the elected government and the judiciary with the military, which many suspect to be the puppeteer pulling the strings from behind the scene, waiting in the wings for any eventuality — is leaving a void that extremists are exploiting with impunity.
Former Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani was pulled down by the Supreme Court for contempt of court. His successor from the PPP was meant to be Makhdoom Shahabuddin, but the court ordered his arrest over a scandal dating from the time he was health minister. So the second string in the bow, Raja Pervez Ashraf, had to be pulled out. But he too faces the Supreme Court’s ire, and has been given until July 25 to write to the Swiss authorities to reopen a corruption case against President Asif Ali Zardari. If he doesn’t, he is likely to meet Mr Gilani’s fate. The court’s move came within hours of the government introducing a new law to protect senior government figures from being knocked out by the judiciary.
This tells us of the stasis in non-military matters in Pakistan. Governance has long been at a standstill. Meanwhile, the fundamentalist groups are killing people at will, including soldiers and policemen, the economy is plunging and the 18-hour-long powercuts almost daily in the hot weather is driving just about everyone up the wall. Relations with the United States, Pakistan’s chief benefactor, are at an all-time low, although efforts are being made to give them an impetus with Islamabad agreeing to reopen US military supplies to Afghanistan through the Khyber Pass following a watered-down version of an apology from secretary of state Hillary Clinton about an incident last November in which a group of Pakistani soldiers were mistakenly killed by an American warplane.
In a situation such as this, perhaps the way out to restore the domestic equilibrium is to have fresh elections, which are due in March 2013 but may be held anytime now. Cricket star-tuned politician Imran Khan is being spoken of as the next Prime Minister. Was this a consideration in India agreeing to revive cricketing ties with Pakistan suspended after the 26/11 outrage in Mumbai? Mr Khan has welcomed the decision of the Indian cricket board. Be that as it may, a Pakistan which has seized up in governance terms is hardly a country with which to do serious political business. Any further moves by New Delhi should wait until the next election in that country.
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