Laboratory Tests

By Emaad Qureshi Emaad.qureshi@gmail.com

Everyone is happy after the 18th Feb. 2008 election because it seems that, democracy is back and dictatorship is over forever. Real test of democratic forces has just started. They have to solve the real problems of the public,which are standing in front of public like monsters.
New Government has to pass number of tests during their tenure which are follows.
Their Test number 1 is how they can maintain the coalition government for 5 years. People are really worried about this coalition because they remember the days of 1990`s when both main parties of coalition PML-N and PPPP were always seen busy in creating hurdles for each other but here they have to show political maturity and stability.
Test number 2 is test of tolerance, especially for freedom of speech. When both parties PML-N and PPPP were in the Government in 90`s ,their was no independent media present at that time,then there was only one television channel at that time ( Ptv) which was busy dancing on the tones of the government.
Now situation is altogether very different, there are more than 70 satellite Television channels and more than 150 Fm Radio channels. Now media is very critical about the policies of the Government.
This thing is very important because in 1999 when there was no independent media but still the famous tussle between Nawaz sharif and Jang group was one of the main reasons of the fall of his Government.
Some political analysts are predicting tussle between new government and Media in next 6 months.
Test number 3 is the issue of restoration of deposed judges and implementation of charter of democracy signed by Chairpersons of Both main parties sitting in Government ( PML-N and PPPP ).There is a point in this charter about the judges,according to that point no party will accept the judges who had taken oath under PCO ever in their professional careers. Judges who were deposed on 3rd November 2007 under emergency are the same judges who took oath under PCO of issued by General Musharaff on 13th October 1999.This means that according to charter of democracy these judges should be unacceptable to politicians of PPPP and PML-N but that is not the case,they are insisting to restore these judges .
This is very surprising and confusing that both parties are violating their own drafted and signed charter.
Nawaz sharif is maintaining the stance of restoring the judges who were deposed under emergency declared on 3rd November 2007 by president of Pakistan Pervaiz Musharaff., since he landed on Lahore airport after 8 years of exile.
If the deposed judges restored ,then appeals against the NRO ( National Reconciliation Ordinance ) can prove to be serious test for credibility and independence of Pre- Nov 2007 judiciary.
Test Number 4 is keeping economy stable in the wake of increasing prices of oil ,rising fiscal and current account deficit.New Government should concentrate on searching new international markets to meet these challenges.In international market Pakistan`s cheap labor and low cost of production can be Pakistan’s advantage .
As far as Current account deficit is concerned it is due to many reasons. Main reasons are import of latest machinery by Pakistani industry, Import of mobile phones due to huge demand by Pakistani mobile consumers. Mobile imports in 2007 has crossed colossal figure of 1 billion dollars.Pakistan can save precious foreign exchange of one billion dollars if Government try hard to attract investment in mobile manufacturing like India where Nokia has invested billions in mobile industry.
These are some serious challenges standing in front of new Government, if they overcome these challenges that would be great for them and for whole Pakistan.

Writer is Editor of Online magazine “Counter Attack”