& çâÌæÚUæð´ ·¤è ¥ôÚU Îð¹Ùæ ÁæÚUè ÚU¹ð´ ¥ÍæüÌ ¥ÂÙð ÜÿØ ÂÚU ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´Ð ãæÚU Ù ×æÙð´, €UØô´ç·¤ ·¤æ× ·¤ÚUÙð âð ¥æÂ·¤ô ©gðàØ ·¤è Âýæç# ãôÌè ãñ ¥õÚU ÁèßÙ ·¤æ ¹æÜèÂÙ ÎêÚU ãôÌæ ãñÐ ÖÜð ãè ÁèßÙ ×ð´ ç·¤ÌÙè Öè ·¤çÆÙæ§ü €UØô´ Ù ¥æ°, çÁ™ææâæ ¥õÚU ©ˆâæã ÕÙæ° ÚU¹ð´Ð ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´, ÜÿØ ã×ðàææ ¥æÂ·Ô¤ Âæâ ãôÌð ãñ´ çÁ‹ãð´ ÂæÙð ·Ô¤ çÜ° ÂýØæâ ¥æÂ ·¤Öè Öè àæéM¤ ·¤ÚU â·¤Ìð ãñ´Ð

Confusion abounds in Pakistan

M.B. Naqvi
Structure of PPP politics is promising ad hoc amounts of money for this, that and the every other cause as special packages. While the fact of the matter is that there are insurgencies going on in Balochistan and in the NWFP's tribal areas, that are now spreading to settled areas. In fact, the rest of Pakistan is no longer safe from the inroads of Islamic extremists.
THE intensity of the political warfare that is going on between the two largest parties, viz. between the ruling PPP and the second biggest party, Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) group continues to be die main news out of Pakistan. The latest in the warfare is tliat Zardari's counter offensive has astonished many by the shape it has taken. It continues while Nawaz Sharif has gone relatively quieter. The PML (N) does answer but its earlier offensive of sometime ago has abated.
Nawaz Sharif has adopted a higher moral ground. He says that partisan warfare will only benefit the third party, meaning the Army. He wants the PPP to complete the five years and says he would not oppose PPP government. But the President Asif Ali Zardari, who is also the PPP chief, continues to hammer Nawaz Sharif with disclosures of big political wrongdoing by many former intelligence officials.
The latest incriminating evidence has come from one former agent by the name
of Khalid Khawaja. This is perhaps the most incriminating of diem all. It says that the Khawaja arranged five meetings between Nawaz Sharif and Osama bin Laden. It is the most direct attempt to creating big misunderstanding between Nawaz Sharif and the /Americans. The Americans are allergic to Osama bin Laden and would react adversely if someone's links with him are disclosed; the notion that someone has been in contact with OBL on a regular basis and who has been financed, as Khawaja claims, the matter becomes something very serious from American viewpoint. Nawaz has been seen as an alternative ruler of Pakistan.
Khawaja, the former spy, says that various sums of money were given to Nawaz Sharif, both for bringing down the PPP government of Benazir Bhutto in 1990 and after he took over as the Prime Minister for the promise that he would then take Pakistan along Islamic padi and make Pakistan a Shariah-enforcing country. Apart from formal denials by his party men, Nawaz Sharifs continued occupation of die high moral ground has said
nothing. Secure in the belief that his popularity graph, especially In Punjab, continues to rise, he is taking all damning accusations in his stride.
Nawaz Sharif has reorganized his party and is going into other provinces where he is not represented. He perhaps hopes for the mid-term election. But all his moves in reorganizing his party seems to be a preparation for fighting an early election. And he has given a call for a 'revolution' in the country.
Nawaz Sharifs side is apparently weak but Jang (media) group's onslaught on President Zardari is claimed to have been inspired earlier by Nawaz Sharif. But that may be a matter of name calling on both sides. No one is quite sure and confusion abounds in both media and public. Most analysts remind the parties the condition of the country is so bad and this is not the time to engage in petty partisan politics, but to no avail.
High inflation, led by food prices, and economic imbalance in the exports and imports plus high fiscal deficit do continue to create a situation in which Pakistan has become a basket case and needs to be bailed out. It is being bailed out by the IMF. It has been stated time without number that the Pakistan economy is deteriorating rather than improving. The government merely promises more expenditures on all counts with the money that is not there. It is relying on Friends of Pakistan group of nations to lend $ 5 billion for improvement of the situation and to undertake some development.
Structure of PPP politics is promising
ad hoc amounts of money for tills, that and the every other cause as special pack ages. While the fact of the matter is that there arc insurgencies going on in Balochistan and in the NWFP's tribal areas, that are now spreading to settled areas. In fact, the rest of Pakistan is no longer safe from the inroads of Islamic extremists. The politics in the two provinces is typical to each of them. Both arc restive and unhappy and promise more trouble, despite Pakistan Army's recent victories in Swat and Malakand.
The third party may not necessarily be the Army. It may be the Americans, a growing number of pro-Taliban politicians claim. The Americans are going on affirming their loyalty to Pakistan and Afghanistan and are promising that they would not leave them alone again. But simultaneously they are also demanding Pakistan should shift its Army's focus from India to Taliban and other Islamic extremists. It should redeploy bulk of its Army along the Durand Line between Pakistan and Afghanistan. The Army shows no sign of obliging.
The Americans also insist that Pakistan should 'do more'. Pentagon says, Pakistan did very well in fighting the Swat and Malakand and they hold that this should be the pattern in which the entire Pakistan Army should initiate a new war against the Islamic extremists in real earnest.
Pakistan has failed to comply so far and the matter remains open. Americans are also insisting on joint patrols and joint operations. Pakistan is chary of having
American boots on Pakistani ground.This is the Pakistan perception and conduct that is frequently expressed in the media. Many politicians accuse that America is really trying to put its forces in Pakistan so that they remain present and when a real crisis breaks out it can grab-hold of Pakistan's nuclear weapons. But this is a subject on which the Americans are not forthcoming nor are the Pakistan officials.
But the latest development is that the government is going out of its way to please the Americans. The latest pronouncement of the Foreign Minister is that if India thinks that more nuclear tests are needed, let it go ahead and Pakistan would not follow suit. This is directly aimed at pleasing both India and mainly America. Pakistanis would not please the
Indians this way if it had not been for the Americans.
Insofar as Pakistan-American relations are concerned, Pakistan is doing its very best to muddle along. It hates clarity. It does what the Americans want very badly - and generally belatedly. But it does not fulfil all the American wishes. This is a peculiar situation and one does not know what the rightwing parties in Pakistan would say when the Indians do undertake new nuclear weapons' test. Whether the American wishes are enough to restrain Pakistan would be the question. But there would be a tremendous pressure on Pakistan government to follow the Indian nuclear tests with their own after a short interval. That will be the litmus test.
M.B. Naqvi is a leading Pakistani columnist