Impeachment ??

WITH the judges issue having apparently taken the back seat, the national scene now seems focussed on the president’s impeachment. Certain questions crop up. If the PPP co-chairperson had to make common cause with the PML-N, why did Mr Asif Ali Zardari have to wait for all these four months? He agreed to sign the Murree Declaration, which visualised an April 30 deadline for the restoration of the judges, extended it to May 12 and later appeared to be going back on it again. If he had agreed to stick to the Murree Declaration the nation would have been spared several unsavoury developments — like the PML-N’s withdrawal from the federal cabinet while the budget-making was on and the lawyers’ long march. The PML-N’s priority all along had been the judges’ restoration, which in its opinion would make President Pervez Musharraf go. It seems Mr Zardari feels that getting rid of the president is easier than restoring the judges.

Now that the grand coalition looks determined to go ahead with Musharraf’s impeachment all sides need to keep in mind the overriding need for ending the agony that has gripped the nation since March 9 last year when Chief Justice Iftikhar was made non-functional. Unfortunately, it is Pakistan that has been non-functional for 17 months, the ‘who will go to Beijing’ controversy itself announcing to the whole world the kind of ludicrous politics that exists in the country. The lawyers are unhappy with Thursday’s announcement, because they wonder what would be their fate if the impeachment move fails. Besides, sections of the people still doubt that the grand coalition will finally clinch it.

The constitution does provide for impeachment, but the procedure has not been spelt out. The National Assembly speaker has to make rules for what is going to be the first — and an unfortunate — constitutional move in Pakistan’s chequered political history. We thus hope that the speaker will make the rules at the earliest.

On Friday, the Senate saw angry exchanges because the opposition expressed the fear that there could be horse-trading to buy votes. To pre-empt the sale and purchase of lawmakers, it is essential that the vote for the impeachment be by a show of hands or division rather than by secret ballot. The president has resolved to fight rather than seek an honourable exit, and there are reports he is being advised recourse to the Supreme Court. This could prove to be a harrowing development, and the crisis could drag on indefinitely, the ultimate sufferer being the people. The onus is on the coalition partners to take the impeachment process to its culmination as quickly as possible. Pakistan has virtually come to a halt, and the nation feels as if there is no government. Dawn Editorial, August 10

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