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.“
I would like to see Dr Mahateer Muhammad of Malaysia to take over pakistan for reasonable amount of time he should be granted honorary citizenship and then made a life time prime minister becasue we have his policies working in malaysia before us. hmmmm.
faraz W:
Here is my take on Mr. Imran Khan Niazi. He has name and fame. I am sure he is a good person. But he is not organic. Meaning he did not grow with and within the people. He earned his name and fortune through cricket. No doubt he was a good cricketer. Perhaps one of the bests. In his early life he was mostly hob nobbling with the rich and famous. In his post-cricket life he has chosen to be a politician. We should welcome it even though he is mostly a media phenomenon. He has his fans but no political constituency. He is trying to built one. But in a wrong way. Since his clan supposedly came to Punjab from Pushtoon areas five hundred years ago he wants to built his constituency by using, in his case, a non existing ethnic card. He is siding with Taliban even though he is not one of them. But he does that in a hope that tribal and Pushtoon areas will be his constituency. In that sense he is a carpetbagger. He has been politically rejected by his fellow Lahorites because of his constant harping and fixation of being of a ‘martial race’. The Pushtuns have yet to accept him as their representative. He has yet to walk from door to door and ask for votes. These are not the ingredients of a national leader. Where will his political career finally set. Time will tell.
For Waziristan mess, It does not matter who created it, ISI, CIA or Zia. The reality is that we have a mess in our backyard, and if we dont clean it, then others will come and clean it as they are effecting by this. Live with this harsh reality.
As for pak fauj symbol, “imaan taqwa jihaad fee sibeel allah”, may be we need to modify it. Giving once life for sake of your country and to save dignity of your future generation is a noble cause and more noble then greed of 70 virgins. The real sacrifice is when you give all you have for truth without caring about rewards in second life.
Nawas Sharif is not very smart person.When he was in Saudi Arabia he said over and over its not about me becoming PM. This is about saving country. If he really wants to save country for the sake of country why can’t he show some flexibility towards Mushraf?
I truly hope his brother can run. Many do not care for NS.
Well many ppl have suggested Imran Khan name in this forum. No doubt he has charisma and he has not been tested before. But I see two major issues with Imran Khan.
1. He seems to be symphatic with religious radicals elements.
2. Sometimes, he seems to be ethnic. To me ethinicity is bigger issue then corruption in a politician. Last thing we need is omnious shadow of an ethinic leader.
So I think, Imran Khan should clarify his position on above two issues.
@ Meengla
u wrote “Case in point: Mr. Altaf Hussain organized events in the 80s where he would personally distribute clothes etc to the destitudes of Karachi. Perhaps a well meaning gesture–sort of like Imran Khan’s–but these kinds of events do not galvanize people across a nation to ask for their rights, to want change.”
What a prepostorous way of comparison! ur equating a thug with a person who really made a differnece by creating a hospital? he didnt kill any one on its way! he is wrong or right if he supports the waziraistan people so do i! coz it was the army tha played with them!called them mujahiddens and now killing them?u kill one ull create 100!as peoplein pak sympatheise them coz of treachorous 11 year long martial law! while makin comparison keep both sides of the equation balanced!Imran has many faults but he qualifies the best among the lot! roti kapra makan is for pak fauj that is zinda baad after shamelessly losing east pak due to its Ayub khans marshalling the fields!and a drunk General yahya whose PS had to throw aglass of water on his pants to conceal his involuntary urination due to alcohol! Army it is army it will be!
stop dreaming about leaders!
U wrote imran started the hospital outta personal grief yet its a noble cause tell me how many have done so outta personal grief? Altaf lives in UK and has a UK citizenship really grieved personality!army loosing E Pak outta grief again came into action by disposing Bhutto! then were the mullah who wanted a islamic pak! then they got 11 years of islam!and now we are uprooting it the basic slogan of the pak fauj “imaan taqwa jihaad fee sibeel allah”
If any one even thinks of a leader hes wasting his her time! leaders are born in PMA lol who take oath not to break constitution and be apolitical yet for saving the country then put bombs on their bodies and conquer the PM house!
None other than the Mighty Khan, Imran Khan, we should honour what he has done for the country so far no politician, No ngo has ever done anything like this. He has to be our PM if we want to survive, he has self respect the most important for human being.
Dakter: Only Imran…..strong, charismatic, well versed, Not corrupt, nationalist…Most importantly did not sell out for personal gains when he was offered to be in the govt……I would stick to Imran..but i see more chaos down the line for Pakistan….REVOLUTION may be in store for us.