The institutions of the capitalist feudal state are in consternation

An astute action by PLMN, PPP making history of retreats,

A Left view on present crisis

By: Farooq Tariq

Pakistan Peoples Party leadership has made a mistake. They had not done aptly their home work. They miscalculated the situation. Even if they did this deliberately knowing all the outcomes, it was a very bad move. They did what the constitution allows them to do according to their interpretations. The notification of two judge’s appointments and elevations was not a big deal in ordinary times. However, this is not an ordinary time. The institutions of the capitalist feudal state are in consternation.

The feudal capitalist state institutions are publically opposing each other. They have no agreement for the future strategies. The priorities of each institution are in direct contradiction with the other. All the dust under the carpet has come in public. They are weakening each other and in this fight PPP seems at the trailing end. PMLN is on a fast route of changing their political strategies in favor of more conflict with PPP.  

The reaction of Muslim League Nawaz was not a surprise. They wanted to oppose the government in their own terms. They had been waiting for this moment. Mian Nawaz Sharif very subtly has taken up a position to oppose president Zardari. They have not opposed the government on any class exploitation issues. They had been working together with American imperialism to implement all the neo liberal policies and have given full support in the “fight against terrorism”. The unprecedented price hike in all walks of life was not an issue for Mian Nawaz Sharif to stand up to Peoples Party.

Mian Nawaz Sharif wants to become president as Asif Ali Zardari wanted desperately the same in 2008. He is targeting the president for a very conscious reason. He wants to split PPP leadership. Admiring one and exposing the other is his political strategy. It was the same mistake that PPP has done in relations to the present notification of the judges. PPP leadership wanted to split the judiciary by this gambit. They failed and Mian Nawaz Sharif will also fail in his strategy to split the PPP. The reason is very simple. Pakistan Peoples Party is totally dominated by Bhutto family, and without Zardari, it will not be PPP but a splinter group very similar to Choudry Shujat  PMLQ

GEO, the largest private television channel could not find a better occasion to score the points against PPP leadership. The state advertisements have been out of their reach after they started a conscious campaign to malign the PPP leadership on the charges of corruption. So it was their time to settle the scores. However GEO and Jang should be the last one to claim for fighting corruption. They are the mouth piece of American imperialist propaganda. The Jang group is part of the ruling class which has different priorities than that of PPP at the present time.

It is an opportunist media baron who has tried their best to exploit the media workers. Most of the workers at Jang group work on contract basis at a very low wages. Some of their anchor persons are in close links with the intelligence agencies; hence they are always there to “break the news”. The present crisis cannot be understood if we believe Jang group propaganda. They have their own commercial motives to do that.

Why Pakistan Peoples Party leadership took a decision that they did not have the ability to implement it. Now PPP leadership is on retreat as usual. What a charlatan justification by the Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani when he says that they will respect the decisions of the higher courts.  Pakistan Peoples Party is creating a new record of retreats under mass pressure. They have done that in case of restoration of judges, NRO and now on elevating the judges.

Who is derailing democracy?

First and for most, the present ruling class under the direct leadership of Pakistan Peoples Party is derailing the frail and fragile democracy. They do not need enemies. They are in their own ranks. No one can shove democracy aside if Pakistan Peoples Party leadership would have done some positive for the masses. They have done all the harm to themselves. They have to help themselves in saving the democracy.

All the conditions of the IMF and World Bank loans have been implemented by PPP leadership and the price have been paid by the masses. The electricity price has gone up 35 percent. The energy crisis has deepened despite the lofty claims of the federal energy minister. The sugar price is over 75 Rupees a kilo because of the sheer mismanagement and cartel policies of sugar bosses both from PPP and PMLN. There is growing annoyance against the policies of the PPP leadership and also against PMLN among the masses, both in partner in implementing neo liberal policies.

There was no better occasion by PMLN leadership to break their comfortable power relationship with PPP at a time when their “popularity” was challenged by the masses in several occurrences. It was astute action by PLMN. They have been doing this all the time. They called for a boycott of general elections of 2008 along All Parties Democratic Movement (APDM), an alliance started by them. They ditched APDM on the direct instructions of the American imperialism and contested general election.

The present crisis is not for implantation of the constitution. The constitution is described and explained as it suits to the parties. PPP now wanted to implement on the principles of the Charter of Democracy in relation to the present notification of the top judges. That means the senior top judges will be given priority. Earlier during the last two years, when they appointed a whole lot of judges to High Courts and Supreme Court, the criteria was not the seniority but who is more loyal to PPP. PMLN is now banking on a 2002 judgment of Supreme Court that was given under General Musharaf where no seniority was to be observed.

It is political divergence between the two parts of the ruling class in Pakistan. The issue of judiciary is been used to manifest their democratic credentials. Both the PPP and PMLN have their weak points and both are not clean.

There is a split among the lawyers movement on the question. The rallying point among the lawyers for opposing the military dictatorship is no more there. Now the political affiliations of the lawyers have taken over their neutrality. They are taking sides on party basis and not on integrity basis. Their views should not be guiding points for the activists of the Left movement.

 Where do the Left stand?

In principle we are all out for the defense of independent judiciary. We fought shoulder to shoulder with the top judges and lawyer’s movement when they stood firm against the military dictatorship. It was the right action and all the pride to fight for this historic movement should not be colored by an inch of doubt.

The top judges of the Supreme Court have taken some very good decisions in favor of ordinary people since their restoration. However, we want them to do more for the social, political and economic uplift of the most down trodden strata of society.  They have not taken up the most important issues regarding the trade union rights and peasants right to land.

We know they are not revolutionaries and will not do any revolutionary actions. They are for reforms in the capitalist system and the system is so rotten that any advancement towards reforms will be met with resistance by one or another group of the ruling class. We support their reform agenda but we are not the reformist.

We will oppose any effort by any section that is paving the way for a more undemocratic structure or going further to depose this fragile democracy. There will be no justification for any reason to derail the democracy, what so ever we have. That does not mean that PPP policies will not be criticized or exposed. Opposing PPP does not mean siding with PMLN or other right wing forces. There is not much difference between PPP and PMLN. Both are right wing political parties totally dominated by capitalists and feudal class and enjoy an unending support by American imperialism.

PPP is no more what it was. It is not even a refuge anymore for progressive ideas. It has left far behind its heritage of reform agenda. It is all out for counter reforms. PPP efforts and motives to split the top judges and lawyers movement cannot be supported. So is the case for PMLN.

We have to take more independent position and on issue to issue based on principles of workers democracy and Socialism. There is not much to choose between PPP and PMLN. We will support any court decision that takes the problems facing the working class in general. We will oppose their decisions that will benefit the bosses and the capitalist system. We will judge them on class basis and not on any other criteria.

The appointment of the top judges is a very political question and not a technical constitutional issue. We oppose PPP and PMLN efforts for trying to appoint their own judges at top positions. The political appointments of the top judges by capitalist and feudal parties must be stopped. PMLN has done it in the past and PPP has been doing for the last two years. A more independent professional approach for appointment of the top judges must be observed in consultation with the judiciary, political parties, civil society and workers and peasant’s organizations.  It should not be left at the mercy of one political group at the top.

In the present crisis, we demand that PPP take back their notification of elevation and appointment of the two top judges from Lahore High Court. The matter must be resolved in consultation with the present judiciary. The top judiciary must refrain itself to become part of any political party or trend.