Adil Najam
Back in August of 2006 one of the first ATP Polls we did was to ask our readers which recent leader they thought did the most good for Pakistan? We had structured the question carefully to focus on the good that these leaders did (all leaders do bad things as well as good, some more and some less). It is time to ask the same question again.
In 2006 we had not included Gen. Musharraf since he was still in power. This time including Gen. Musharraf but not Asif Zardari, who is in power now. So, what do you think?
Please do take the question serious and answer it in the spirit asked:
The Question: Focussing primarily on whatever ‘positives’ might have been achieved during their stint(s) in power, who, amongst the following, did the most ‘good’ for Pakistan?
Let me repeat the explanatory paragraph I had included in introducing the question the first time:
The key word is ‘achieved.’ We always have plenty of discussions about what leaders have and are doing wrong, but nearly never talk about what they did right. Interestingly, even when we are trying to make a case for someone, we tend to make it by explaining what is wrong with everyone else. After all, if everyone else is bad (and worse) then our guy must be good, at least in ccomparison and by default. The logic makes a perverse sort of sense but tends to take our political conversations towards confrontations (since they are based on ‘attacking’ the other rather than on ’supporting’ our own). So, here is an experiment to see if we are capable of talking differently about such things.
As before, for Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif consider the combined impact of two stints they each had in power. Do also please tell us what you think they did that was most important and lasting to Pakistan’s well-being as a nation. Again, we focus on achievement here not because the ‘bad’ that they did was not important (in each case it was) but to discipline our conversation towards thinking of things that, maybe, we should be doing more of.
Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, the supporter of dictators, and himself the first civilian dictator, his disastrous nationalization policies, and who is also among the main culprits responsible for the destruction of Jinnah’s Pakistan is considered someone who did good for Pakistan ?
If indeed Pakistanis think so then Pakistanis don’t know whats good for them. The PPP is a political party of feudals disguised as a civilian democratic party. Because the feudals remain in power in Sindh is why PPP still gets votes, not because PPP has done anything to serve the nation.
there should have been an option of “NONE”
Can anyone voting for these so called leaders throw some light on the perceived good deeds of these ppl…i cant recall any ………….
The one who did most ‘good’ was the one who was most ‘feudal’ and the most ‘arrogant’ and yet he did so much that 42 years later the people of Pakistan have still given power to his party.
Yes, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto.
I don’t think the people of Pakistan are as stupid as the privileged blog-space indulges to believe in. You cannot fool all the people all the time. The converse is: You have to give something back to the people–even with your precious life–to be remembered by the Eternities.
PS. As a young boy I actually took some satisfaction in ZAB’s judicial murder. So this is not some ‘die-hard Jiyala’ of olden days.
There is no question that Pervaiz Musharraf did the most good for our beloved country Pakistan . He was the best leader Pakistan have seen after Quaid-e-azam. Musharraf was the one who saved the country when it was going to be declared as a failed nation and was been completely bankrupt by the thieves who ruled the country before him and now came back again in power to rule ignorant Pakistanis .
Musharraf fought for Pakistan and because of him and other brave Pakistani soldiers that our nation is saved and growing every day and will be saved from all external powers and our thief politicians.
Long live Pakistan
Long live Musharaaf
Long live Pakistan Army
-hmm, `who did he most good…….