ISLAMABAD: While democracy got one boost from the resolution that was passed in the National Assembly on Friday, it also got a shot in the arm from the pleasantries exchanged between the prime minister and a visiting US delegation. Jim Marshall, a US Congressman, who was accompanied by four colleagues, assured Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani of the American government’s commitment to Pakistani democracy.
“The US administration, as well as the Congress, strongly desire continuation and strengthening of democracy in Pakistan and believe that its relationship with Pakistan is absolutely grounded on civilian and constitution based set-up.”
Uttered on Friday afternoon as the parliament was passing a resolution in favour of democracy, the words must have sounded reassuring to the prime minister whose government is once again facing the rumours of an early death.
The floods have left in their wake a fractured polity in which hostility between various coalition partners at the centre as well as at the provincial level appears to have reached new levels.
The statement by MQM leader Altaf Hussain in which he invited “patriotic generals” to take martial law-like steps is a case in point. In fact, his statement strengthened the rumours that the PPP government was on its way out.
A political observer told Dawn that the recent trip of the chief of army staff to Saudi Arabia where he met the Saudi king as well as intelligence chief Prince Muqrin Bin Abdul Aziz added to the buzz.
It is noteworthy that within days of Gen Kayani’s trip to the kingdom, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi also visited the country and held a meeting with Prince Muqrin.
However, the rumour mills may slow down if not stop completely with this latest message from the Americans.
The visiting Congressmen, according to the official press release from the prime minister’s house, said the delegation “during their meeting with the Chief of the Army Staff earlier in the day… had highlighted these US sentiments”.
It went on to add that the delegates “assured the prime minister of USA’s support for establishing civilian institutions and building their capacity for disaster management and relief activities…”
At a time when Pakistan is so crucial to American foreign policy goals in the region, such a strong American statement in support of democracy is bound to be noted by all political stakeholders. However, when Dawn contacted a security official to get the army’s response to the development, he declined to comment; he said that “as a matter of policy the military does not comment on political debates, issues and controversies”.
The US delegation included Representatives Jane Harman, Peter Welech, Charies Dent and Cythia Lummis.
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