Pakistan Political Drama: Truce For The Moment

Mar 16, 2009 by SWARAAJ CHAUHAN, International Columnist

During the past few days Pakistan witnessed a high drama with top opposition leaders, including the powerful former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, put under house arrest. When the confined leaders broke free and began a big protest march to the capital city of Islamabad, the Pakistani government buckled under and agreed on Monday to reinstate the independent-minded former chief justice of the Supreme Court, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry.

This followed a hectic backroom consultations/diplomacy involving President Asif Ali Zardari, Mr Sharif, and the US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. “The Obama administration’s special envoy to Pakistan, Richard C. Holbrooke, said the United States applauded ‘the statesmanlike act by President Zardari and hope that it will help defuse a dangerous confrontation’,” reports the NYT.

“Nonetheless, the restoration of Justice Chaudhry, who was dismissed two years ago by then-President Pervez Musharraf, appeared to show new weakness by Mr. Zardari. The former chief justice’s fate was a festering unresolved issue between Mr. Zardari and Mr. Sharif while the two men led a coalition government last year.

“Mr. Sharif and Mr. Zardari fought over the future of Mr. Chaudhry until their coalition fell apart last September over what Mr. Sharif said was Mr. Zardari’s refusal to reinstate the chief justice.” More here…

Why is judge Chaudhry so important in Pakistan? Read here…

Meanwhile an AP report says that suspected militants attacked a Pakistani transport terminal from which supplies are sent to NATO troops in Afghanistan, burning dozens of vehicles and shipping containers. “Rising Taliban attacks have raised doubts about the reliability of critical supply routes through Pakistan, prompting the U.S. and NATO to seek alternatives.” More here…

The Pakistan Spectator believes that Pakistan’s chief of army staff, General Ashfaq Pervez Kiyani, “forced Asif Ali Zardari to part with his ego.” More here…

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