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.
Our nation realizes good things done by someone after their death. They are not acknowledged in their life time.
Ever since our country was made we had Ayub Khan who served the country well and made us look a nation of character. Compare yourself today as of today when Zardari is President what character we portray as of nation ?
After Ayub we were once again lucky enough to have a man better than Ayub ie Musharraf. He still lives and we are still to acknowledge his greatness.
Musharraf was the best thing ever could happen to this nation. Army gets the credit of bringing such great protectors of the nation. We must atleast acknowledge his greatness now if not bring him back.
I am happy to see people voting for Benazir. I think it is only after her death that we fully realized how much she added to Pakistan’s international prestige. It was good to have a leader who was respected internationally. It is also amazing how much she achieved in a very short time.
I have wavered between Ayub KHan and Zulfiqar Bhutto. Ayub did make good infrastrcuture but I think so did Bhutto. More important, Bhutto did the constitution and his was the only time when Pakistan’s international reputation was high and positive. In all the others we were really beggars, for example during Musharraf time. So, for national pride and achievement I will vote for Z.A. Bhutto.
If we look objectively, without falling into controversies and look into the facts and figures and ground realities Musharaf did more good then anyone else.
Telecomunication
Employment
Raising salaries of government employees
Infrastructure
Reducing Foreign Debt
Foreign Reserves
Education, universities and collages
Image of Pakistan in the World by that time
and many more areas.
But one of the most important things which is never mentioned the scholarship programme for Pakistani students to go abroad for PhDs! This programme was so transparent and based on merit that personally I know many poor students who could hardly afford to finish their MA/MSCs in Pakistan are now sitting in the best universities of Europe for their PhDs!!!
Lets compare the knitty gritties rather than personalities, we already know Musharraf had the most likable of all the mentioned personalities.
External debt & liabilities (EDL):
1988