The Current Discussion: With President Zardari forced to reverse his bans on political opponents, is Pakistan on the brink or is this a positive sign? What, if anything, can the West do to help maintain stability and democracy?
When General Musharraf deposed the Chief Justice back in 2007, my reaction was that if the General did indeed have evidence of wrongdoing, he should have asked the Supreme Court itself to adjudicate their colleague rather than fire him. So the issue of reinstatement is not about whether Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry is corrupt or not, but simply a matter of what is constitutionally right.
The hope that exists now, though it could be wishful thinking, is that the restored Chief Justice will act as a neutral head of the Judiciary rather than keep bantering in politics. If he can act with prudence, fairness and a sense of integrity, then the Judiciary might well be on the right path. However, the right path in this case will also be to examine the constitutional basis on which Mr. Zardari ascended to the highest office in the country. This will mean that eventually the judiciary will clash with the president's office. A working peace between all parties will be tough to hammer out.
However, this might all be naive and wishful thinking. There's a significant absence of other political forces that might have a political voice in the democracy. Imran Khan, the cricketer-turned-politician, is gaining support among the youth and might have enough support in the urban centers to make a difference down the road. For the moment the third force that is more troublesome is the militant youth who have wrecked havoc on Swat, where Mr. Zardari caved in to an agreement with them. Those actions only suggest that democracy can be hijacked through the barrel of gun. But why not? If democracy and democratic traditions can be scuttled by deals between American and Pakistani politicians and the army, then of course anyone with a bit of "street power" will want to negotiate his own deal. So why care about the power of the ballot box when sinister deals and guns work better?
This is a cynical view, but the best that the West can do is engage with the government and the judiciary to ensure that true democratic working principles are established in the country. Rule of law is more important then the politics of convenience. Where dramatic dismissals and restorations are not the order of the day, due process is what governs how things work. The United States should negotiate with the political spectrum and not just talk to those who they are pleased with.
Pakistan is in crisis. Restoring the judges may well be a step in the right direction, but it does not mean the journey has ended. Judging by the political maturity of many of the players, the road ahead will be long and it won't be easy.
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