Asif Zardari, with his measured and calculated moves, has shown himself, so far, to be a political tactician of grand proportions. Since he took over the party with a little noticed coup no one expected him to be this mature politically. At least I did not.
Yesterday his move to contact MQM head honcho Altaf Hussain was a stroke of genius. He had Altaf take his candidate Farooq Sattar out of the game without his consulting with his erstwhile partners in the PML-Q. With that one move he chopped Musharraf as well as Amin's political legs and decimated Chaudhries of Gujrat. At the same time he diluted Nawaz Sharif's power in central government by taking MQM on board and decreased its nuisance value in Sindh, at least for the crucial early days of PPP's government there. He is set go either way on judges issue.
He has finally nominated a Makhdoom (Yousaf Raza Gilani) from southern Punjab to combat the anticipated Resistance from Makhdoom of Hala. As soon as the the announcement was made Makhdoom Amin Fahim folded without a whimper in his interview on Aaj TV channel. He said he was standing with the party in this decision and he will especially come from Karachi to cast his vote for his 'friend' and has already congratulated him. He said though that he was not consulted by the party.
Gilani has been officially nominated as the candidate for prime minister. He is a vice chairman of Pakistan People's Party and a former National Assembly speaker (from 1993 to 1997 - during Benazir Bhutto's second term as prime minister). He later spent four years in prison on charges of making illegal government appointments.
He will certainly be elected prime minister with an overwhelming majority - a lot more than two third - I believe.
After the MQM coup Zardari did not need the chairman of the party Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, who has asked to return to Pakistan for a short break from Britain to announce the decision himself. Farhat Ullah Babar announced the 'unanimous' decision.
The question is why he did not let Makhdoom Amin Fahim get nominated? Does he has his own eyes on the seat and Gilani would be only a stop-gap prime minister and Zardari would take over the post after entering parliament via a by-election? Is Gilani too pliable and Amin was not?
If he proves his critics wrong, once again, as he has done so far in the last three months after the assassination of his wife, by letting Gilani stay in power for the next five years without interruption then he is bigger than what he is thought of. If he does decide to use his extra ordinary power for the benefit of Pakistan as he has done so far then it is good omen for the future of Pakistan.
No comments:
Post a Comment