Now when Zardari is gone.....

These are difficult times but not the times to panic. Sabr, great khair is coming inshAllah despite all the chaos that you see around.

Pakistan’s political, judicial and military power structure is now undergoing a change process. The most powerful wheeler and dealer of Machiavellian politics, staggering corruption and dubious deals is now out – Zardari has left the president’s house after completing his 5 years of “democratic” rule which would be known as the darkest period in Pakistan’s history. In the coming days, Chief Justice would also be shown the door and the powerful Pak army would also get its new chief. The equation would have new variables.

Nawaz Shareef has already brought a loyal President in place of Zardari. Now he is focusing on bringing a loyal CJ and a subservient army chief. According to NS, if he can have all these 3 posts in his pocket, then he will emerge as the most powerful democratic “dictator” in recent history in Pakistani politics. So far, NS has made a terribly shaky start where he remains totally clueless on national security, economy and counter terrorism. He is trying to build a national consensus on major policy issues but that remains an elusive challenge for this most confused prime minister who, comically, is also the foreign minister and the defense minister!

The national security meltdown, threats on the Eastern borders, US planned withdrawal from Afghanistan and its fallouts, talks with internal insurgents and rebels and hostile attitude of judiciary and media are the major challenges for the army also. General Kayani had maintained a hands-off policy on politics and had kept the army away from the political and judicial chaos but now the demon has come to haunt the army as well.

The massive corruption of national exchequer, meltdown of law and order, failure of judiciary to rise to the challenges and giving too much space to the political parties having terrorists gangs as their force multipliers have now piled up so much pressure on the army that it is almost cracking up under its weight, even being dragged into urban metropolis like Karachi. The concern of the army leadership is now not a secret anymore.

The government so far has NO strategic vision on any critical national security issue.

There is NO afghan policy in the making.

There is NO anti-terrorism policy.

There is NO realistic India policy.

There is NO decision on how to deal with Karachi and Baluchistan.

There is NO economic policy other than being dictated by the IMF.

This is NOT a very promising start for the NS government even after 100 days of their taking charge.

Now when Zardari is gone, the man behind all the chaos of the last 5 years, and the expected departure of CJ next month and the arrival of new army leadership in November, it is expected that national political, judicial and security profile would change for the better – not because of the competence of NS government but because of less hostile attitude of the judiciary towards the army and the injection of fresh, firm thought process into army leadership. For now, nation just have to wait for the right time. Khair inshAllah.