Nawaz Sharif, the PM-designate, is yet to sassume the reins in his hand and he is seeing the ditches on the road ahead. He has started leaving indications that he is undeterred. However, the plethora of problems left behind by the outgoing PPP Govt. may give him innumerable sleepless nights. The political analysts have started guessing about his likely response to such testing issues.
MIDDLE PATH: Pakistan still is under the beck and call of the rich politicians of Punjab. They do not permit any govt to ignore their interest. On the other hand, Al Qaeda, Talibans and other terrorist groups are determined to strictly follow Islamic tenets and teach a lesson to India so that she is compelld to run away from Kashmir. The Pakistan Tahreek-e Insaf of Imran Khan came forward with a democratic façade to attract the common man. He declared to improve bilateral relations with India and curb the terrorist groups. The PPP regime of Asif Ali Zardari, during its rule of five years became badly defamed for its mis-governance. Setting aside the extremes of Zardari and Imran, the electorate chose to adopt a middle course and voted for Sharif whom they had seen twice in past. However, Sharif does not have a magic band to handle all these divergent pressure groups.
ECONOMY: The state of affairs on economic front is going to put him in a very tight corner. In last five years, the country has been recording 4% growth which is inadequate vis-à-vis the fast growing population. Nothing short of 8% annual growth is going to make Pakistan shining. The bilateral Indo-Pak trade is also harming Pak. Today it is at $2.5 billion, which is a peanut if we see the population size of both countries. It has to enhance many times more. Nawaz Sharif will also have to shake off Pak hesitation on extending most favourite nation status to India. Any further dithering is bound to militate agains Pak interests.
INDIA-PAK-IRAN RELATIONS: We know very well how the flow of Iranian natural gas to India via Pakistan has been hanging fire for several years. This is also because the US does not want India to go closer to Iran. India is on the course of a diplomatic innovation to probe the possibility of an alternative route to avoid Pakistan. Hearing this new development, Pak has decided to accommodate others’ interests. Now it is for India to decide whether to depend on wavering Pakistan. Pakistan has opened Qwadar port for China who was lenient in financing this port just to harass India. They also objected to Indian materials going to Afghanistan via Pakistan. Once again India proved smarter by building Chabahr port in south Iran. Now the Indian access to Afghanistan will be easier.
KASHMIR: Since their birth in 1947, both India and Pakistan have been fighting over Kashmir. The case is hanging fire in the UNO since 1948. They have fought three wars and sustained huge losses in men and materials. In last 66 years, despite hundreds of rounds of bilateral talks and confidence building measures, things have not moved an inch on positive track. Both the countries are observing LOC. Trans-border infiltrations and other crimes, over and above the military skirmishes have been disturbing mutual peace. Terrorist camps are being run in POK to be smuggled into India to create chaos. Will Sharif muster courage to hold the extended friendship hand of India?
AFGHANISTAN: we know that the US is scheduled to withdraw its forces from Afghanistan in 2014. Immediately after that, the Talibans will try to snatch power from Karzai. India has invested some $2 billion for the economic development of that war ravaged country. If Pakistan did not play a creative role, Afghanistan will once again relapse into chaos. Some people hope that China and the US will join hands to maintain peace there after the withdrawal of American forces. That will be a good development and Sharif will have to espouse it.
We have only briefly touched upon some of the immediate problems of Pakistan waiting for necessary solutions from the new PM. If there is political harmony in this part of the world, India, China, Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan can all prosper.
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