Adil Najam
We know that Nawaz Sharif and Asif Ali Zardari prefer Dubai as a ‘neutral’ meeting ground. Last week Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gillani and his entourage, including Information Minister Sherry Rehman, made a very public stop-over in Dubai to meet Asif Ali Zardari and family and (presumably) discuss important policy issues. Now, one reads that national security chief and de facto Interior Minister, Rahman Malik, is rushing to Dubai to discuss even more important policy matters.
One doubts that these are just “routine” meetings. One expects that there are many other important political meetings that one does not even hear about. Deservedly or not, this leaves one wondering whether Dubai, and not Islamabad, is the new center of Pakistan politics.
Dubai has long been central to all things Pakistani (!). And not just because of the large and increasingly influential Pakistani diaspora that resides there.
Economically, more and more Pakistani ‘transactions’ now happen in Dubai. Its just a short flight away (short enough to feel like a domestic flight), foreigners who feel more comfortable meeting in Dubai, economic transactions are easier and safer to make, and more and more Pakistani companies (and, actually, Western companies) are setting up shop in Dubai.
Politically, it has been home to key political exiles from Pakistan and it seems that even politicians not (yet) in exile set up home there… just in case! It is also a convenient and comfortable “negotiating ground”, whether it be for Musharraf-Benazir negotiations or Zardari-Sharif ones. Indeed, Dubai is a major ‘Pakistani’ news center, not just because our important TV channels are located there, but because so much actual political news happens there!
Yet, while the PPP, as a party, being run out of Dubai was understandable while Benazir Bhutto was alive and unable to be in Pakistan, it feels distinctly odd when it seems that the PPP is running the government of Pakistan from Dubai.
I am quite convinced that this is, in fact, not the case. I sympathize with the fact that Mr. Zardari is in Dubai for personal, and reportedly health, reasons. He has as much right to do so as any other Pakistani. More, maybe, because he has homes in Dubai. I can also appreciate his wanting to be near his children over their summer break and can understand a fatherly concern about not wanting his children to be in Islamabad in the midst of the political limelight, intrigue, pressures, and insecurity that would be lavished on them. There is plenty of good reason for him to be in Dubai, even for long periods. Especially, since as Party co-Chairman, he is not really compelled to sit in a government office in Islamabad.
Having said that, however, the frequent and very public visits of those of his party colleagues who are now public servants (e.g., the Prime Minister, the Information Minister, etc.) to meet him in Dubai to discuss matters of political urgency leaves a bad taste and a palpable impression that matters of importance to the Pakistani public are far removed not only from the people, but even from the country’s Capital.
Whatever else it may be, it is not good politics. For that reason alone, it should be avoided.
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I will add to what Ali Dada said here, the best long term solution for Pakistan is to sell itself to the UAE. The UAE has been on a buying spree in the USA. Pakistan is a natural fit for the UAE. I rather have the UAE royalty rulling Pakistan/UAE than the likes of crooks we have now in Pakistan.
The only question is, who will broker the deal? :)
Prof. Najam, I am new to your site and really enjoy reading your words. Keep up the great work!
Democracy…the people have decided.
Be happy with the results man. At this point, I wouldn’t even mind if the keys to Pakistan was handed over to a ‘foreign nations’ along with ownership papers.
I mean, who am I to protest or howl or be angry? These are the things Pakistanis wanted and got - congratulations.
And my, just in time. If Pakistan would have been stable for 1-2 years more, I would most likely would have shifted to Pakistan. Oh well, Allah saved me.
Very well written and well argued.
I loved the line : “matters of importance to the Pakistani public are far removed not only from the people, but even from the country’s Capital.”
But that has always been the case. If not Dubai then New York or London or Washington.
Important points and well-balanced article, Adil. I think there is an important distinction between why our politicians flock to Dubai and why so many of our business transactions are taking place there. Needless to say, we should try our best to create circumstances where conducting important business operations is easier in Karachi, etc than Dubai.
As for the political issue, I have always felt (though not with much evidence for backup) that they choose London and Dubai over some place in Pakistan because they would be somewhat more free from the intelligence apparatus who could possibly sabotage a deal even before it’s executed.
Prof. Najam, you have raised a really important point. This is something that has been bothering me some some time but somehow the media never picks up on this. In reading your thoughts I realized that the media does not pick up on this because the media is ITSELF Dubai-ified.
You are very fair and balanced in your presentation, I think too fair. Maybe its OK for Zardari to set up home in Dubai, but it is certainly not OK for him to make Dubai the new capital of the country. And not just him, Nawaz Sharif, Ch Shujaat, Pervaiz Musharraf, they all seem to have made Dubai or London or New York their camp office. This is no way to run a country.
Tina, don’t worry about the US tanking. Free econamies are cyclical. And with the largest economy the world folows where the US goes. If anything the dollar is setting up for a surge in these last two quarters. The fed has made the right sounds about that.
As for Pakistan, it wouldn’t tank either. naysayers have been hoping for it to happen from day one. The patriots will always play their part to keep the country going from strength to strength
Mr. Najam,
I am really disappointed to read your views. In fact I have always been. It seems it is urban educated like you and me, with their habit of making non-issues the core issues, have turned Pakistan into a mess that it is.
To me knowing how Pakistani establishment has operated and taped even the phones of prime ministers, it makes sense for leaders to have meetings outside Pakistan. Democracy in Pakistan is pitted against the most ruthless bunch of power maniacs and so every act to outsmart maniacs is justified.
Idealism is a good thing, but we reach their gradually not overnight. If educated urban Pakistanis cannot help democracy, at least they should show some patience not to let it be hurt. Answer me honestly, how long did it take you to be such ruthless griller of Musharraf.
Reality is that we urban educated, with all our talk of democracy and idealism and naya savera, fear democracy. Because we fear that in democracy the poor, uneducated villagers and katchiabadi wala will threaten our social dominance. And we find refuge in our pseudo-idealism and all the pep talk of inept politicians and ignorant masses following them.
May Allah be our guide.
If it’s not Dubai, it’s London or a Murree resort. They sure know how to have a good time, waste money, and get nothing done. Keep it up gang. This is exactly what’s expected out of you.
Imagine all the money that gets spent on these trips when the travel with their entourages. Airline tickets, lavish hotels and other reimbursements. And they hardly get anything useful done. So ridiculous and so sad.