Pakistan Searches For a ‘Qualified’ Prime Minister: Any Suggestions?

Posted on November 30, 2007
Filed Under >Adil Najam, Politics, Society
93 Comments
Total Views: 137227

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?

DAWN ad searching for Prime Minister of Pakistan

(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.

93 responses to “Pakistan Searches For a ‘Qualified’ Prime Minister: Any Suggestions?”

  1. Faisal Omer says:

    We are not in a position to select name of Pakistni Prime Minister. I will be exported by USA and will be selected/ nominated by our Army. Head of both major political parties are disqualified as they they already remained prime minister twice but President of Pakistn can take his seat for 20 times as he is from Pakistan Army. If someone will point his finger, he will be behind the bars or house arerrest like our Chief Justice and our President of Supreme court Bar. There are a lot like Choudhry brothers who will clean President’s shoes by their tongs.

  2. Ayesha says:

    He should be allowed to be totally one-dimensional. If cricket is going down, then for the next 3 years Pakistan can collaborate to develope cricket and only cricket! You may need mullahs for that, but again you may not.
    But it is an acceptable macroeconmic goal.

  3. Rafay Kashmiri says:

    Muhammed Saleem
    Khan,
    I propose the said verse like :

    @ Ameer Inqelabi, ghareeb-e-shehar ko loot leta hai
    Kabhi be-hila-e-Rooti, kabhi benaam-e-Makaan

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