Adil Najam
In this, the third ATP Opinion Poll (see previous polls here and here) we want to see what you think about what previous Pakistani achieved.
The key word there is ‘achieved.’ We always have plenty of discussions about what leaders have and are doing wrong, but nearly never talk about what they did right. Interestingly, even when we are trying to make a case for someone, we tend to make it by explaining what is wrong with everyone else. After all, if everyone else is bad (and worse) then our guy must be good, at least in ccomparison and by default. The logic makes a perverse sort of sense but tends to take our political conversations towards confrontations (since they are based on ‘attacking’ the other rather than on ’supporting’ our own). So, here is an experiment to see if we are capable of talking differently about such things.
The Question: Focussing primarily on whatever ‘positives’ might have been achieved during their stint(s) in power, who, amongst the following, did the most ‘good’ for Pakistan?
Ayub Khan
Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto
Zia-ul-Haq
Benazir Bhutto
Nawaz Sharif
[For Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif consider the combined impact of two stints they each had in power]
I have purposely excluded Liaquat Ali Khan because he is now too far away in the past and because his ‘founding father’ status has meant that we usually do not analyze his tenure in political terms. I have also left out Pervez Musharraf (see ATP poll on him here) because his actions impact us immediately and so the passions ignited are too current. Others who had short tenure, or were leading in name alone have been excluded.
I hope we will have a lively discussion in addition to the polling. I realize that we will disagree about what was ‘good,’ but it seems to be that a disagreement about achievements and what we consider to be good achievements is preferable to mere name-calling and may end up telling us something not only about these leaders, but about ourselves.
As before, you can get to the polling area by clicking on the responses in the sidebar, or directly by clicking here.
If you do want to influence the results, please, by all means ask your friends to also vote. Voting is anonymous; as it should be. This will, of course, not be a very scientific poll, but it will at least give us a sense of what this community � the ATP cohort � thinks. Do vote, but please vote only once (even if you are smart enough to beat the system somehow). You can view the results here. [Polling Closed; 12.25 PM EST, 23 August 2006] Analysis of results available here.
To think aout contribution, Nawaz Sharif did the nuclear test despite all the pressures on him.
forfeited
On an other tangent something huge is unfolding between eng/pak game. Pakistan team seems to have fortied the game in protest.
Adil, I am taking a tangent from your question but wanted to share with you an extremely valuable show on PTV…i do not know the name of the show but it basically covers architectural heritage, the host invites a host which has some expertise on the building of the week. Yesterday the expert extremely eloquent to be a civil servant, nonetheless made a very going point that is relevant to your blog. It was about leadership. What he said was in context to providing protection to our national heritage but the implication of the argument goes beyond. The gent named three world figures. The Quaid, Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King.
The basic argument was that leadership is leading by example. And more importantly that Administrative contol and executive authority need not be pre-requisite of leadership. The Quaid made his greatest achievement before he became Governor General in 1947. The creation of Pakistan without holding any administrative contol was the test of his leadership.
Nelson Mandela became the conscience of black majority in South Africa during his incarceration. The duration of his rule was brief and the paradigm shift and the awakening owed to his leadership occured much before he became president. Martin Luther King’s famous speech and emergence & impetus of equal rights movements came without Administrative authority.
I found this argument to be refreshing especially as it was aired on PTV which is much more open these days than the black days of Zia-ul-Haq. That no one of us has to wait for some divine intervention and wait for leaders to arrive. In our own little way, if we can impact one life that is in need, we would have lived up to the litmus test leadership
FYI, the “peeli taxi” was a total debacle. Every wealthy person bought and subsequently sold those Hyndais and Daewoos. I distinctly remember going to a rich kid’s house for his birthday and seeing 4 (yes four) yellow taxis hibernating in his huge backyard. According to the kid, they later got the license plates changed, re-painted in other colors and sold on the common market. That idea was doomed to failure…but then again it was probably DESIGNED to help those in power to further their personal finances.
Also, while we’re talking about Mian Sharif’s massive failures, I also distinctly remember him appealing to the “awam” to limit their tea drinking because it was costing Pakistan money….also, remember the whole “saadgee” campaign in his second term…. I mean, that idiot did not even have a good business sense, which is ironic considering how much money his own businesses have and continue to make. To further the economy he was trying to restrict trade??
Also, couldn’t resist mentioning this. For those of you who will visit Karachi in the near future, when your plane lands, look closely to your left during the ride to the gate. You’ll see two Mercedes cars partially covered. They’ve been there for 5-6 years. Sharif “imported” them and somehow did not pay taxes or did something so they’ve kept them there.
Roshan
The cycle rickshaws that were banned in Southern Punjab under Nawaz Sharif govt were later exported to Bangladesh where they are still under very much use.
Ayub Khan:
The first five year plan
Infrastructure development (Except some mega projects)
ZA Bhutto:
Concept of empowerment of masses (Brought politics out of drawing rooms)
Charismatic speeches
Land Reforms
1973 Constitution
Shimla Accord (release of POWs)
OIC
B Bhutto:
Woman Prime Minister
The initiation of pending project (Mid Country Oil Refinery) in Qasba Gujrat Muzzaffargarh.
N Sharif:
Banned cycle rickshaws and gave those porters motor rickshaws (Bahawalpur, D.I. Khan).
The idea of yellow cab scheme had to employ people but not well designed and implemented.
Ayub Khan:
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Best: I’ve heard Pakisan’s Economy was best in his days and huge infrastructure projects were undertaken
Worst: Moving capital from Karachi to Islamabad. Failure to pacify the feelings of alienation in East Pakistan
Z.A Bhutto:
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Best: religion and state were separate in practical sense, if not on paper
Worst: His role in East Pakistan debacle and Nationalization of Schools and industry
Zia
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Best: Can’t think any
Worst: Karachi started burning during his rule and not much was done to solve the situation earlier on.
BB:
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Best: MoUs signed with Power Companies. Though expensive, atleast some of those power companies are now feeding in to the National grid.
Made Nawabzada Nasrullah the chairman of Kashmir committee and hence effectively kept his mouth shut by sending him all over the world on official expense.
Worst: Federal-Punjab tussle, as for the first time in the history, province of Punjab appeared asking for more indpendence like its own radio station, its own banks etc and worsening law and order in Karachi
Nawaz Sharif:
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Best: Motorway plan, as Effective infrastructure is vital for a country’s development
Worst: ran country as his personal industry. it is my personal opinion