NRO hearings

Today the Supreme Court will begin its long-anticipated hearings on the legal and constitutional questions surrounding the National Reconciliation Ordinance promulgated by Gen Musharraf (retd) in Oct 2007. But it’s the potentially far-reaching political implications of whatever the Supreme Court decides that is perhaps of most importance and calls for some comment. The NRO has pitted the government, or perhaps just the presidential camp, against the opposition. From the point of view of systemic stability, that is wholly unwelcome, not least because it creates room for the extra-parliamentary forces to create mischief. Therefore, we call upon all sides to think carefully and act with extreme caution. Political instability is neither desirable nor inevitable in the current scenario, provided all sides do certain things.

First, the presidency and what it must do. Mr Zardari must recognise that being the constitutionally elected president he must act to unify the federation and eschew the politics of confrontation and postponement. The president needs to shrug off his bunker mentality and deliver on his promise to give up the powers that Mr Musharraf arrogated to the presidency. Anything short of that and the president’s bona fides as a genuine partner of the country’s various political forces will not be established. Mr Zardari must also tone down his bellicose, hyper-partisan rhetoric. The fact is, the PPP does not have a majority in either the National Assembly or the Senate, and the political map of the country suggests that coalition politics are here to stay, at least in the foreseeable future. So Mr Zardari must demonstrate that he is genuinely interested in the politics of cooperation.

Second, the PPP-led government at the centre must address the accountability issue. The government must enact legislation that allows fair, transparent and across-the-board accountability. Nobody doubts that corruption is a part of the country’s political fibre. So a business-as-usual attitude will not pass muster. If the government wants the public, the media and the opposition to respect its constitutional legitimacy and right to govern, it must also recognise that it has a responsibility to nudge the country towards the path of good governance. Without putting in place a genuine and fair accountability mechanism, the moral and political legitimacy of the government will not grow.

Third, the opposition must respect the system even while it disagrees with the government. It must let the Supreme Court sort out the legal issues surrounding the NRO and acknowledge the electoral legitimacy of the government and its leaders. The shoe will eventually be on the other foot, and what the opposition chooses to do now may one day affect its own fortunes. Finally, the media would be well advised to allow the necessary room to all the parties to play their roles to obviate a crisis.LINK