Adil Najam
I found this full page ad in Dawn very interesting. And also very democratic. Maybe a national conversation does need to be held on who (or what qualities) makes for a good prime Minister?
(click picture to see a larger, more readable, image)
Do you have any ideas? Lets try to do this not on the basis of who can win, but who (or what qualities) should we want as our Prime Minister. At least as an intellectual exercise, and a national conversation, we should be able to get out of Benazir Bhutto v. Nawaz Sharif v. Pervaiz Elahi type of ‘pragmatic’ discussion into a discussion of what we really would like to see in a Prime Minister. Dawn’s set of criteria is a very good place to start.
So, folks, give us your ideas but please please please do not again repeat the same old slogans and naaras about why you don’t like who you don’t like. Lets try to focus this on who you like, and why. And even this is someone who has no real chance of winning, lets at least think about what qualities makes you wish that this person would win.
The ad gives these criteria for the person we should be looking for:
- He should be bold in upholding the law without fear or favor, but his actions must be tempered by the heart.
- He must be learned in teh art of policy making, but not lacking in mobilizing popular support for his policies.
- He must be honest to a fault, but neither dull nor unimaginative as to be able to figure our white-collar crime.
- He must deal with civil servants with firmness and retain an unerring belief in teh rule of law. He must allow a sense of participation around him so the Pakistani electorate is able to guide his thinking. He must shepard a nation of activists - not police a fold of huddled sheep.
One should note that they clarify: “This man or indeed woman could be completely unknown. Or it could be that astute and honest politician who long deserves recognition for integrity, competence, or even an ability to perform a deft Machiavellian maneuver.“
@AM
The United States Congress passed the Tweenty-second amendment to ban third term presidency on March 21, 1947.[1] It was ratified by the requisite number of states on February 27, 1951 So, It was not 200 hundred year.
Dear commentators,
@there is a pub on GEO, you can consult
“Istekhara markaz ” Prof Imam Din, on line.
You might get some ideas about your candidates !!
Benazir Bhutto: “The ban on third-time premiership negates democracy.”
Lol - I would like to hear her suggest this idea to her hosts for so many years, who are now rooting for her. America has negated democracy for over two hundred years with its ban on third time presidencies.
Ludicrous. The PPP and PML need to be routed in the elections just so these parties can have some sense knocked into them and so they can choose new leadership.
To quote Ahmed Quraishi:
“Turkish President Abdullah Gull was not impressed. There was no Robert Kennedy, Hillary Clinton, or John McCain to receive him here. Not even Howard Dean. Just Nawaz Sharif, Benazir Bhutto, and Imran Khan. If our dear Turkish friend was expecting to meet towering statesmen, he was in for a surprise.
According to the people accompanying Turkish President Abdullah Gul in the Pakistani capital yesterday, the Turkish leader was not very impressed after meeting the cream of the Pakistani political elite.
“This bunch of jokers failed to impress him,” said a protocol officer who witnessed the meetings.”
The search should at least start with who cannot be PM - and Pakistanis should let NS and BB know this.
Nawaz sharif and BB have also sent their nomination papers as the perfect PM nominee to DAWN. The reason you ask?
jai unj nai tay fer enj hi sai!
(if not like that, then like this only!)
I think that the problem with our country is that out of 160 million population at least 75% deem themselves absolutely fit to be the PM of Pakistan (they may be desperately lacking in other qualities and fields)!!! So I think that the response to the ad would be overwhelming not for the reason that Pakistani’s want to be the PM to serve the nation but rather the want of the nation to serve them!
One of the most popular utterance in general political conversations in Pakistan is, ‘ Agar mai ess mulk ka wazir azam hota tau sub ko sedha karr deta (or deti!)’ (If I was the PM of this country I would have set everyone straight!)
Who can, perhaps, be a better candidate for the office of PM than Maulana Diesel??????
Hire Mr. Clinton as Pakistan PM. What will he charge? few millions? still better than who took out billions.
We have a Australian coach for cricket team why not have PM also from other country?