By Rauf Klasra
ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari portrayed himself as a hawk-turned-peacemaker on Saturday but the script is understood to have been handed over to him by the Americans and the British, whose late night calls helped him to try and bring sanity to the troubled political proceedings in the greater interest of all the stakeholders.
But even in the heat of emotions at the end of his speech to parliament, a politically smart Zardari did not forget to keep certain useful cards in his own hands to deal with the Sharif brothers once the dust settles down.
The president was clearly advised by his party elders last week at the Presidency to do away with the disqualification of the Sharif brothers through an act of parliament, instead of allowing the courts to decide political issues. These elders genuinely believed that the PPP should take the credit of giving a new political life to the Sharif brothers not the courts.
But Zardari did not buy this advice and successfully managed to keep Shahbaz Sharif away from the slot of CM Punjab, who would now be required to sit at home and wait for the decision of the Supreme Court which may go either way. The Sharif brothers will now be looking for a temporary replacement of Shahbaz Sharif in the province to run the new government.
Other than the US and UK, Saudi Arabian leaders will be relaxed after President Zardari agreed to revive the old arrangement of power-sharing at the Centre and the Punjab. A genuinely worried Saudi King had even sent his intelligence chief, Sheikh Mukrin, with a long letter in the name of President Asif Zardari. In this letter he told the president not to disturb the existing political power-sharing system at least for one and a half years as the friends of Pakistan were seriously concerned about the deepening instability in the country.
But Zardari did not give any importance to the secret letter of the Saudi King, as he was said to be angry with the Kingdom for not giving financial help or come up with an economic bailout package despite visits by both Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and President Zardari himself. Both the leaders had returned empty handed. The Saudis, however, used their links in the American and British foreign offices to force Zardari to do what he had earlier refused to do.
While Zardari tried to give the impression that he had decided to retreat instead of pushing the things in his own style, many insiders claim that this change was not voluntary as it was imposed upon him by the late night telephone calls. That was probably why a smiling and happy US ambassador Anne Patterson came out of Parliament House after hearing the speech of President Zardari.
One insider claimed that unlike his past track record of backing out of his commitments, Zardari would definitely execute his fresh promises in letter and spirit as ìguaranteesî of this new deal between warring Nawaz and Zardari were given by these foreign powers who believe in a no nonsense diplomacy.
Courtesy The News
