After eight years of self-imposed exile, former PM Benazir Bhutto has arrived in Pakistan bringing hope to many people that peace and stability would return to the country after days of political turmoil. But for that to happen smoothly, the country’s various political institutions along with the judiciary have to work in unison and allow the Pakistani public to have a say in the matter.
Benazir Bhutto is returning to Pakistan after president Musharraf signed an amnesty lifting all corruption charges against her and some other Pakistani politicians although the Pakistani Supreme Court has ruled that the amnesty is debatable and will be dealt with in the near future making the former PM susceptible to any future court case. But for now the main concern among the Pakistani citizens is the consequences of Benazir Bhutto’s return. Will she be able to reach a power-sharing deal with president Musharraf and help the country in a peaceful transition to democracy? Or will there be any other twist to the already eventful political drama?
Regarding a power-sharing deal, many analysts believe that president Musharraf is being pressurized by the United States to come to a common term with Benazir Bhutto and make sure that radical Islamist groups do not take undue advantage of the volatile situation.
Before any constructive deal can take place, president Musharraf has to face a critical Supreme Court ruling. The court is yet to decide the eligibility of Musharraf’s overwhelming re-election victory earlier this month. The Pakistani constitution does not allow a person to be a president and at the same time stay as the chief of the army. The battle-hardened general has pledged to quit his post as the head of the army by November 15 if he is re-elected as the president for another five years. But at the same time, he has warned that if the court blocks him, he might dissolve the parliament and even call for martial law, plunging the country into more political darkness.
Both Musharraf and Benazir Bhutto are viewed by the west, particularly the US, as moderates with a common goal in eradicating the country of Islamic extremists. Bhutto, even publicly, admitted that as a future PM of Pakistan, she would allow US air strikes on suspected Taliban and Al-Qaeda bases in the north of the country. This is the very reason why Washington has decided to wield its power of influence in making the bitter political rivals come to a compromise and consensus in stabilizing the situation.
The critical juncture of the political quagmire is yet to come when the supreme court rules on the eligibility of president Musharraf’s election victory in a matter of weeks, if not days, but as of now, it remains to be seen how the country accepts Benazir Bhutto’s long-awaited arrival and most importantly the political repercussions of the high-profile return of a key political player.
