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.”
adil:
one can name any person living or dead – no matter how pious or how successful he/she may have been – that persons is guaranteed to fail as PM here
and the reason is glaringly obvious:)
a leader also needs people around him/her to execute and carry out duties – subordinates who also have an exemplary character and share that vision – (and compound this with lack of strong “institutions”)
and in pakistan there is a dearth of them – in mushtaque yusufi’s words “qehat ur rejaal”
hence – a nice rhetorical query by dawn news – but not much else
;)
What about “Dr. Atta-ur-Rehman”. He is scienstist of chemistry and has served as minister between 2000-2002.
He is shrewd person and have good management skills and have international exposure.
@ I never thought Dawn, a news paper of Pakistan
founded By A GREAT MAN, have been reading, since
tender age, would become news paper of damn fools
and saturated misoriented journalists making not enough
money for themselves and for Haroons.
While, nest is good too, it should be ‘next’.
;-)
Must have a clarity of what is equity and justice.
Must promise to retire after 3 yrs.
Must promise to give opportunity to new faces so that they can be groomed for the nest round of leadership.
Pakistan has had many good (competent) folks who took a hand on the wheel. Including Sultan Musharraf. Sadly, the above values are missing in him too.
We, the people, are at fault too.
We need to figure out how to keep good people better and not watch them commit hara-kiri right before our eyes.
We should be prepared to ask them to leave. No matter how good they are doing. And no matter how much we like them. It is not about them, it is about us, the people of Pakistan and the destiny of Pakistan.
And Pakistan will certainly get enriched when more and not just a few ‘chosen’ people claiming to be ‘sincere’.
Pakistan Zindabad
Pakistan Pa’indabad