If you go by the media advertisement and the onslaught of columns in our daily newspaper, one will be confused that may be 14th August have revisited us after less than a month?
Of course just kidding, nothing like this. It was to celebrate Mr. Zardari’s 1st year in office and according to sources belonging to them, it seems that this year has turned around the fortune of the whole nation. I might agree with this notion, but of course for that I have to exclude myself along with the 180 million people of Pakistan, as for us nothing has changed. So today I decided to shed some light on the performance of last year, without mentioning the successes noted down by the presidency itself.
At his arrival in the top office, Pakistan was at a cross road and it will be not wrong to say that it is so even today. In order to shed lights on all the perils it is better to discuss them separately:
A) The Security Situation:
This was and is the first and foremost challenge faced by him. Imagine the time when western media was flocked with the news that Taliban are just 80km away from the capital and our nuclear arsenal is in their grab. The tables turned dramatically and operation in Swat decided the fate of so called hired Taliban forever. It can be added to the success basket of the presidency but some thing stops me short of it. Wasn’t it our honorable parliament and the top office which bowed down to the demand of Taliban and signed the agreement in Swat and adjoining areas only to announce an all out war two weeks later.
Was it the success of political forces or an entire failure of the government and its ally ANP?
I will leave this question up to you because from my side the credit only belongs to those who fought on those peaks and embraced Shahadat out there.
B) The Energy Crisis:
1 year back we were in a stone age and I will invite a comment which can prove that it is the other way around today. The whole country is engulfed in darkness for hours and all we can hear is that agreements are in final phase with rental power companies. 1 year on and we have no mega project on table that can turn it around. Kalabagh, which held centre stage for so long has been wiped out and its alternate will hardly make any difference.
C) The Political Instability:
The President personal nomination for the top seat created a crack in the alliance and it is the same even today. PML-N is heard saying that a whole propaganda wing is working in the presidency and the whole instability is blamed on this. On the other hand we still remember the famous reconciliation in Punjab where an all out war was underway for the prized spot. The governor, at the center of the whole drama, is still there enjoying the blessings of the presidency. On the other hand first it was the restoration of judiciary and later it is the 17th Amendment. The first was settled in a way well known where a disaster was avoided and the miscalculation of the top leadership meant that Army had to intervene in order to settle the affairs. On the later hardly any progress is visible although it was claimed by the top office that this will be the first priority, but it seems that a showdown similar to the judicial crisis is in the making.
D) Pakistan Sovereignty:
This is the most important aspect in whole discussion. At the arrival of the president 1 year back, I was writing about the illegitimate drones attack inside Pakistan. It seems that the time has changed and now I express worries over the presence of 7000 US Marines in Pakistan and the covert operations of the BLACK WATER. On the other hand first it was the indirect interference of the friendly states into our affairs but now a development has been made. Now we are pronounced as AFPAK, and now the interference is direct in the shape of Holbrook and Milliband.
This was a short account of the affairs that I could gather. The tenure of the presidency is 5 years, and the last person (MUSH) went much ahead. But this has to be made clear that whether the completion is the level of success or its something else. Mr. President, we look forward that in the coming years you address these queries so that next time around, the details should be different than the way they are today!
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