Homecoming of Zardari

The political scene in Pakistan is getting hotter than ever. All the signs of an incipient mess are already there. Elite and not-so elite politicians are meeting in public as well as behind closed doors. Concessions are being made, compromises are being sought and deals are being doled out.

Benazir Bibi and Nawaz Sharif met in Jeddah earlier this year. Lots of hugs and kisses. Both had plenty in common. Governments of each of them were sacked twice on charges of corruption. They finally made up after accusing each other of being complete crackpots. No love lost there between the old rivals.

Benazir’s recent much hyped-up personal trip to US, on the other hand, was a complete dud. She put herself again on the auction block and tried to sell herself to the Uncle Sam. There apparently were no bidders. What else could she possibly offer to the Americans? The head of A.Q. Khan, the Khuzdar base in Balochistan, or a corridor for a ground invasion against Iran?

For now, the plan “B” is in works. Asif Zardari, a.k.a. “Mr. Ten percent”, came back from Dubai. He intended to do “Dama Dam Mast Qalandar” in Lahore on his arrival, which unfortunately did not materialize. This is the second time he tried that stunt and failed. Last time he was promptly arrested. Mr. Zardari, at that time bent over backwards, signed off at the dotted line, and boarded on a flight to Dubai to see his lovely wife.

Why would he come back? He barely got out of prison, isn’t so? Numerous charges against him, ranging from tax evasion to murder have resulted in plenty of indictments. Evidently, he is not afraid of prison. He shrugs his shoulders, “Been there, done that”.

Benazir seems to have no use for him by her side. She could care less about spending any quality time with him. Besides, she is fully tied up. Her time is equally consumed between taking care of the kids and responding to different subpoenas from international courts for insignificant, petty crimes such as money laundering (1,2,3).

She remains in a self-imposed exile and has no immediate plans to return to Pakistan and face outstanding arrest warrants. Her rationale is valid and based on family values. She believes that at least one of the parents should be out of jail at a given time for the sake of the kids. Who says that raising children is easy these days?

Given the circumstances, it is difficult for her to find any time for politics. That leaves her party (PPP: Pakistan Peoples Party) feeling and acting like an orphan. She is the self-elected “Chairperson for life” for her party, which seems like a huge responsibility. In fact, it is not. Occasional phone call and minor tweaking from Dubai is sufficient via remote control. Most political parties in Pakistan are being run in a similar fashion, nowadays. PPP has been on autopilot for quite some time.

Benazir feels the pain and suffering of the people but she cannot leave the party to the outsiders. Party works on a franchise model. It is owned by the Bhutto family. Outsiders are franchisees, never the owner themselves. Current party Chief Makhdoom Amin Fahim is not family, so he can never be a valid substitute.

Zardari must take the center stage because of Benazir’s own “inability” to play a leading role. Mr. Zardari does seem ready for the job. He apparently has done some soul searching as well, while sitting in prison for years. It finally dawned on him, the apparent virtues of cutting a deal. He could have learned that from the horse’s mouth, the other deposed Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif. Better late than never.

“The sacrifices of Zardari have raised him to the ranks of a senior politician”, Benazir comments on his release from prison after eight plus years. Of course, he graduated from an accredited state prison. He must have learned a thing or two from other inmates.

Benazir believes that Zardari is fully capable of leading PPP in a meaningful way and could potentially invigorate the ranks of the party. He, potentially, could be the next prime minister of Pakistan. Why not, the last time, she herself became the Prime Minister with PPP getting only 86 seats in a 217-seat house. Mr. Zardari has acknowledged that possibility himself and has not ruled that out completely. “Only time will tell”, he says modestly.

In all fairness, he does boast a few worthy traits that could make him a star. He has plenty of gray hair, a bad aching back and a rotten prison record as long as his arm. His reputation for being “Mr. Ten Percent” is a hard-earned one. He now not only admits ownership of 4.35 million pounds worth of Surrey Palace (Rockwood Estate) comprising a 20-room mansion and 365 acres of farmland in London, but wants the proceeds of the sale as well (4). Without his contest, the proceeds of this sale would have gone to Government of Pakistan.

Never mind that both Benazir and Zardari have issued denials ever owning that place. Mr. Zardari was once quoted by “Guardian” as saying: "How can anyone think of buying a mansion in England when people in Pakistan don’t even have a roof over their heads?"

The couple is no doubt, shameless, greedy and highly corrupt. Their total assets around the world are reported to be in excess of $1.5 billion (5). Guilty as charged? Hardly! Personal savings? You bet!

None of that distracts the hired political spin-doctors who are busy giving Mr. Zardari another nickname and creating a radiant halo around his head. They are using some creative mathematical algorithms to prove that he actually spent more time in prison than a combined total of eleven years. By taking into account, his total jail term and added “overtime”, they claim that his sacrifices for the country tantamount to the suffering of Nelson Mandela, the first black post-apartheid president of South Africa and a legendary figure of the African National Congress.

For the records, Mr. Mandela survived 27 years in jail without bitterness for his political beliefs. He averted a bloody civil war and went on to create a non-racial democracy, which became the worldwide symbol of resistance to racism. He was later awarded a Nobel Prize for peace in 1993.

Fortunately, now, we have a figure of almost equal status. Meet “Nelson Mandela of Pakistan”. If Zardari is Nelson Mandela then Benazir must be Mother Teresa.

To keep everything in its perspective, Mr. Zardari is not unique. He has done nothing really out of the ordinary not done by other Pakistani politicians, both past and current.

Mr. Zardari is now more mature, methodical and calculating. We hope that this time he is going to cover his tracks rather well. He seems qualified enough and we reluctantly share the establishment’s belief that he has been fully rehabilitated. Liberal and moderate, a diamond in the rough, indeed.

Optimism aside, he needs to tread carefully, though. Any wrong move and he may end up in prison again. Deals with the rulers are always shaky and could become null and void without much notice.

Despite the odds, Mr. Zardari wants to play his hand. We totally agree. For now, let us all join hands with “PPP” and greet Zardari as a born-again messiah that would revolutionize Pakistan in more ways than imaginable. Finally, we have the answer to our prayers.

Pakistan has a long painful history of being led by “leaders” that were manufactured out of thin air. This time is slightly different. We are recruiting them directly from state prisons.

References:

1. http://www.newsline.com.pk/NewsSep2003/newsbeat7sep.htm
2. http://www.twf.org/News/Y1999/1007-Benazir.html
3. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/163394.stm
4. http://www.guardian.co.uk/pakistan/Story/0,2763,1287785,00.ht ml
5. http://www.nab.gov.pk/Assets/benazir.htm