Once Was Not Enough: A Signal Failure Of Leadership

Though she was much admired in the West, where she projected herself as a beacon against Islamic fundamentalism, Bhuttos second term of office had seen the countrys economy sink into crisis while lawlessness and violence escalated.

Within the last month with an economic crisis bursting Pakistan has seen a strike called by the main opposition party, led by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, and anti-corruption protests by the Jamat-i-Islami party.

President Farooq Legharis statement announcing the end of Bhuttos government and the dissolution of parliament was a damning indictment of her rule. The statement was issued by a man, as a member of her party, had seemed likely to be an ally of Bhutto when he was appointed president shortly after her own election in 1993. That the President should have turned so decisively against her indicates the turmoil into which Pakistan has subsequently descended.

 

It could be argued that yesterdays decision shows that democracy in Pakistan does not yet have firm foundations. Since the lifting of martial law in 1985, all four elected civilian governments have been dismissed by the president acting with the consent of the military.

However, although Pakistan is led awkwardly by a triumvirate the government, the president, and the military the military appears genuinely to have renounced all desire to take an active role in government.

A more convincing interpretation of the repeated dismissals of governments is that the governments of Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif, who was Prime Minister from 1990 to 1993, have been unable to overcome tendencies towards feudalism, venality and corruption.

In a country still dominated by a handful of families, successive governments have been ineffective in whatever efforts they have made to develop the economy. Although there have been several attempts at economic reform since 1990, the fiscal deficit has not been contained. Indeed, the situation now is very similar to that when Sharif was dismissed by President Ghulam Ishaq Khan in July 1993.

Then, Moeen Qureshi, a long-time World Bank official, was appointed as caretaker Prime Minister and introduced a measures designed to boost almost non-existent foreign exchange reserves and restore fiscal order.

Under Bhutto the economy has slipped from the relatively healthy situation which she inherited. Reserves have again sunk to a dangerously low level, the rupee was devalued by eight per cent in October and urgent negotiations are under way with the International Monetary Fund.