Benazir Bhutto's 4th anniversary and charter of democracy

on
Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif
signing Charter of Democracy.
Charter of Democracy was a great success of PML-N and PPP. But now how and who to act upon and follow it, is the responsibility of both parties. If they end their political differences. COD will be the strength of democracy. COD is now considered a constitution. Pakistani Politics is under the influence of military powers from several decades. Now COD is a good way to prevent and stop the military interference in the futures.


"I am living for Pakistan and I can die for Pakistan". These were the words of Benzir Bhutto Shaheed, on 27 December 2007, who was assassinated while leaving a campaign rally for the PPP at Liaquat National Bagh, after giving a spirited address to Party supporters in the run-up to the January 2008 parliamentary elections. Her body was flown to her hometown of Garhi Khuda Bakhsh in Larkana District, Sindh, and was buried next to her father in the family mausoleum at a ceremony attended by hundreds of thousands of mourners.

Fourth anniversary of Benazir Bhutto Shaheed


Twice elected Prime Minister of Pakistan Benazir Bhutto (1988 & 1996) had went into exile in Dubai UAE in 1998 and came back to Pakistan in October 2007 during Gen. Musharraf government. Then she started a great campaign for the next coming election of 2008. She went to many cities and addressed the rallies. She was welcomed warmly by PPP (Pakistan Peoples Party) supporters.

Charter of Democracy:
Pakistan Muslim League [N] (PML-N)'s chairman Nawaz Sharif met Benazir Bhhutto in May 2006 and signed the "Charter of Democracy" (COD) to outlines steps to end the military rule established by General Pervez Musharraf and restore civilian democratic rule. COD - Document war appreciated very much and people expected true democracy in Pakistan.

National Reconciliation Ordinance:
But later in May 2007 Benazir Bhutto signed another document NRO (National Reconciliation Ordinance) with the then military dictator General Parvez Musharraf which became the most controversial documents of Pakistan signed by a former PM and an army chief. It granted amnesty to politicians, political workers and bureaucrats who were accused of corruption, embezzlement, money laundering, murder, and terrorism between January 1, 1986, and October 12, 1999, the time between two states of martial law in Pakistan. It was then rejected by the supreme court of Pakistan later on when SC got its historic independence after the assassination of Miss Bhutto and resignation of president Gen. (R) Pervez Musharraf.

General Pervez Musharaf
The distance between PML-N and PPP were increased due to the NRO and Nawaz Sharif of PML-N blamed Benazir Bhtutto for supporting military dictatorship to come into government. But Bhutto refused all such blames and declared that she also wanted to end the military interference in politics.

Benazir Bhutto returns Pakistan after signing NRO. In other words NRO was the way for Bhutto to return Pakistan at any cost.Thus she came back in October 2007 and started election campaign for 2008 election and finally she was assassinated exectly a year before, on 27 December 2007.

Nawaz Sharif blamed the Musharraf government for her assassination and also declared boycott from the next election in 2008. But Asif Ali Zardari, husband of Miss Bhutto, Co-Chairman of PPP and now president of Pakistan said Nawaz Sharif to finish his boycott and Nawaz Sharif did so. He was asured to act upon the COD after being in power.

Bilalwal Zardari with Asif Ali Zardari
In the election 2008, PPP comes in power in center and PML-N in Punjab while both the parties made coalition in both federal government and Punjab province as well. But a big issue was created about the PCO judges. PLM-N wanted to suspend all such judges. But PPP was not ready for it. Government established a member commission for the appointment of new judges in which nine members were from PCO judges. The present chief justice Muhammad Iftikhar Chaudhry was also suspended by Musharraf. Nawaz Sharif wanted to re-appoint him as CJ of supreme court. While PPP was afraid that in the case which Nawaz Sharif wanted, the NRO will be canceled by the SC and all the closed cases against PPP will be reopened.

PML-N head Nawaz Sharif started long march again the appointment of PCO judges and blamed Zardari, the big threat for the democracy. Thus both the coalition parties were apart from each other again and they are till now.

Today after four years the Charter of Democracy is such an issue that none can act upon it but both the parties blame each other other for it. Political experts say that the document (COD) is a great achievement of both the parties but they can't act upon it which their big weakness. 

Pakistan Muslim League - N:
PLM-N accepts that 18 amendment, provincial autonomy are the good outcomes of COD but good governance, end of corruption, providing education and health facilities and other basic life facilities to the people were also mentioned in the COD which PPP government failed to do. PML-N claims that if they come in power in the next election they will act upon all the articles of COD. COD is the strength of democracy.

Pakistan People's Party:
PPP blames PML-N for it. PPP says that they acted upon COD and followed it 80%. And this is PLM-N's responsibility to act upon the rest parts of COD. PPP government gave the authority of half of the standing committees to the opposition for the first time in Pakistan history. So the have also 50% responsibilities to act upon COD while they do not do.
Charter of Democracy was a great success of PML-N and PPP. But now how and who to act upon and follow it, is the responsibility of both parties. If they end their political differences. COD will be the strength of democracy. COD is now considered a constitution. Pakistani Politics is under the influence of military powers from several decades. Now COD is a good way to prevent and stop the military interference in the futures.
In short words now both PML-N and PPP are not sincere to follow the Charter of Democracy. Both parties have their own weaknesses and compulsions.



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