Wanted: a people’s leader (Pakistan)
Friday, May 15, 2009
Editorial, Dawn, Pakistan
Friday, 15 May, 2009
IN days of yore when royals paid a visit to foreign lands, they often did so to escape the stress and strain of ruling an ungovernable country. Then interpersonal diplomacy caught the fancy of leaders and the need to communicate in private became reason enough to travel. Today, communication has moved far ahead of the Morse code, and foreign trips by dignitaries are seen as an exercise that must be undertaken only when the purpose is solid and justifiable and the period of absence limited. This specially holds true when a leader’s presence in his or her country is needed because of uncertain political, security and economic conditions there.
How then can one justify President Asif Zardari’s innumerable visits abroad, which have also included extended periods of private breaks? In the first four months after assuming the presidency last September, he made nine foreign trips costing Rs150m. He took off within a week of taking oath. This matter is a serious one and cannot be ignored. The country is in flames, hundreds of thousands are being uprooted from their homes in the north because of the army action in the Malakand division, the Taliban are retaliating and an economic meltdown is looming large.
It is shocking that the person at the helm who should be instilling courage in a despondent nation is not at the scene and is away on foreign jaunts. It is but natural to expect a person in a position of leadership, especially holding high office, to have a visible presence among the people in their hour of crisis. No captain worth his salt abandons his ship at a time of crisis. He remains on the deck. This analogy can be extended in part to Pakistan which is like a rudderless ship. Leadership by remote control doesn’t really work. With the 17th Amendment in place, the president wields the actual power. The prime minister publicly puts all key decisions on hold to await Mr Zardari’s attention. What this country needs are leaders with courage, compassion and a vision — leaders who do not shy away from crowds and are not averse to visiting conflict-hit areas be they Swat or Balochistan
Friday, 15 May, 2009
IN days of yore when royals paid a visit to foreign lands, they often did so to escape the stress and strain of ruling an ungovernable country. Then interpersonal diplomacy caught the fancy of leaders and the need to communicate in private became reason enough to travel. Today, communication has moved far ahead of the Morse code, and foreign trips by dignitaries are seen as an exercise that must be undertaken only when the purpose is solid and justifiable and the period of absence limited. This specially holds true when a leader’s presence in his or her country is needed because of uncertain political, security and economic conditions there.
How then can one justify President Asif Zardari’s innumerable visits abroad, which have also included extended periods of private breaks? In the first four months after assuming the presidency last September, he made nine foreign trips costing Rs150m. He took off within a week of taking oath. This matter is a serious one and cannot be ignored. The country is in flames, hundreds of thousands are being uprooted from their homes in the north because of the army action in the Malakand division, the Taliban are retaliating and an economic meltdown is looming large.
It is shocking that the person at the helm who should be instilling courage in a despondent nation is not at the scene and is away on foreign jaunts. It is but natural to expect a person in a position of leadership, especially holding high office, to have a visible presence among the people in their hour of crisis. No captain worth his salt abandons his ship at a time of crisis. He remains on the deck. This analogy can be extended in part to Pakistan which is like a rudderless ship. Leadership by remote control doesn’t really work. With the 17th Amendment in place, the president wields the actual power. The prime minister publicly puts all key decisions on hold to await Mr Zardari’s attention. What this country needs are leaders with courage, compassion and a vision — leaders who do not shy away from crowds and are not averse to visiting conflict-hit areas be they Swat or Balochistan
Labels: Pakistan, Taliban, Terrorism, Zardari
posted @ 12:04 PM,
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