The year 2004 began with President Musharraf getting a confidence vote on January 1 from parliament and the four provincial assemblies to 'reaffirm' his presidency, as required by the government-MMA agreement on the 17th constitutional amendment.
However, the year ended with a call by the religious alliance that the nation observe Jan 1, 2005 as a black day to protest Gen Musharraf's failure to give up his uniform by the end of the year, as was stated in the accord, finalized after prolonged haggling. Thus, the man who was accepted as a validly elected president by the MMA at the beginning of the year was described as ineligible to continue both as head of state and army chief.
The outgoing year was eventful for Punjab because many important related diplomatic and political activities took place in the province. Motivated by a desire to be remembered on the basis of his performance, Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi continued his efforts to set up maximum projects in the shortest possible time and outdo Shahbaz Sharif.
Simultaneously, he strengthened his ties with President Pervez Musharraf, with whom the political fate of the Chaudhrys is linked. The cooperation was in mutual interest. Gen. Musharraf needed the Chaudhrys to be able to face his opponents politically. And the Chaudhrys needed the general's support to be able to reach the higher rungs of the political ladder.
It was because of this 'inter-dependence' that Chaudhry Shujaat Husain was given an opportunity to become prime minister for a couple of months. The elevation of Shujaat as the country's chief executive brought the Chaudhrys at par with the Sharif brothers who concurrently held the offices of the prime minister and the Punjab chief minister.
The uniform of President Musharraf remained a subject of discussion for most part of the year and the Punjab PML provided the critics with a lot of ammunition by passing a resolution "requesting" the general to hold both offices for five years.
The resolution was first adopted by the party's general council at a meeting at the Muslim League House. Then the provincial legislature adopted a similar resolution, putting other provincial governments in a difficult situation. (The Sindh Assembly, where the PML and the MQM are in majority, followed suit. However, the PML could not get such a resolution passed from the Balochistan Assembly because of strong opposition put up by the MMA, the coalition partner. The assembly in the NWFP, where the MMA is in power, did not pass a resolution at all).
A number of Indian delegations came to Punjab during the outgoing year, and Mr Elahi also paid a visit to East Punjab, providing the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, a coalition partner with the PML, a pretext to criticize him for making efforts to set up what it called "Greater Punjab". The Chief Ministers of East Punjab and Haryana, Capt. Amarinder Singh and Om Prakash Chautala, came to Lahore and held talks with Mr Elahi to promote cooperation between their respective provinces.
Former prime minister I.K. Gujral also visited Lahore. During his speeches at various forums, he underlined the need for converting Saarc into a forum like the European Union. He also proposed that the Kashmir dispute be put on the back burner for the time being and relations in other fields be improved. A SAFMA (South Asian Free Media Association) conference was also held in Lahore where President Musharraf explained the 'seven options' he had spelled out earlier in Islamabad to resolve the Kashmir dispute. (Later, he said he had 15 solutions in mind).
Another important event of the year was the attempt made by former chief minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif to return to Lahore from exile in Saudi Arabia. A petition was moved before the Supreme Court seeking permission for the former chief minister to return to his country. The apex court granted the request and held that like any other citizen Mian Shahbaz was free to come to Pakistan and stay anywhere he liked.
Encouraged by the verdict, Mian Shahbaz Sharif flew into the city on May 11. However, arrangements were already in place to deport him as soon as he landed. A special plane took him to Saudi Arabia, where the rest of the family members have been staying since Dec 10, 2000. The whole episode established once again that with Gen Musharraf at the helm and the Chaudhrys ruling Punjab, there is no room for the Sharifs in the foreseeable future. In fact, the expulsion of the PML-N president in less than two hours of landing showed that the soft corner Gen. Musharraf had for him in the past was no longer there.
President Musharraf's phone call to the Sharifs to offer condolences over the death of their father, Mian Muhammad Sharif, created some interest in political circles. The president's claim that he had talked to Mian Sharif on Shahbaz Sharif's insistence put the former chief minister in an awkward position. This left an impression as if Shahbaz Sharif had an accommodative attitude towards President Musharraf. To counter the impression, the Sharifs directed their Lahore-based leaders to hold a news conference and tell the media that the brothers thought alike on all subjects.
The move to oust Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali as prime minister was spearheaded by Chaudhry Shujaat - the man who had proudly nominated the leader from a small province for the highest office.
A meeting of PML leaders was held at the Gulberg residence of Mr Shujaat Hussain where speaker after speaker assailed Mr Jamali for his alleged failure to deliver. Some alleged that Mr Jamali used development funds against the interests of the party.
This was the first time that differences, thus far camouflaged by saccharine smiles on both sides, had come into the open. To ensure that the message was conveyed in strong words, the Chaudhrys had allowed the media to sit in the hall where the meeting was being held. This was a departure from the routine, as reporters are briefed about the proceedings at the end of such meetings.
Information Minister Sheikh Rashid had opposed the idea of letting the media in, saying the party's dirty linen should not be washed in the presence of journalists. However, his opinion was overruled. The assault was so overwhelming that the Jamali had to quit.
Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi tried to strengthen the position of the ruling PML both by taking steps to tackle the problems of the common citizens and making inroads in the opposition parties. At least two PML-N MPAs defected to the ruling party during the year, further weakening the position of the already much-trimmed party of the Sharifs. Then, Mr Elahi 'enticed' some opposition legislators from southern Punjab. They resigned from their seats and won them back in by-elections on the ruling party tickets.
Interestingly, the PML-N could not seek disqualification of the defectors as the turncoats did not ask for separate seats in the Punjab Assembly, a pre-requisite for action against them. The provincial government, while taking various steps for the betterment of the province, it miserably failed to change what it called police culture. Lawlessness has become the order of the day.
The situation may be well gauged by the fact that according to local newspapers as many as 400 murders took place in Gujrat district alone during 2004. Criminals enjoyed complete freedom to strike at will. Media criticism of the deteriorating situation did not make the slightest difference to the authorities.
Though sectarianism was controlled during the past few years, it resurrected during 2004. Two incidents at Shia mosques in Sialkot and Lahore and one incident in Multan on the day the Sipah-i-Sahaba Pakistan was observing the death anniversary of its leader (Maulana Azam Tariq) caused more than 60 deaths. Police say these were terrorist activities wrongly portrayed as sectarian incidents by vested interests.
Incidents of kidnapping for ransom registered an increase in Punjab as also rape during robberies. Highway robberies also increased. The government's steps for the promotion of education were praised by everybody. It is believed that incentives announced for the promotion of female education would go a long way in raising the literacy rate in the country's most populous province.
The Punjab government took an important step for industrialization by setting up the Sundar Industrial Estate near Lahore. All plots on the estate have been sold and the government estimates that Rs30 billion will be invested there. The provincial assembly passed record legislation during the year, although commensurate improvement in the on-ground situation is yet to be seen.
In the last quarter of the year, the Punjab government started preparing the party for local elections. It has been decided that nazims and deputy nazims who gave good performance during their existing tenure would be asked to try and get re-elected. Those who did not will be asked to relinquish their place for other candidates.
To improve the party's position in Lahore, the Punjab government completed various underpasses and flyovers for the convenience of the people. A Rs18 billion Ring Road was also launched to solve the traffic problem of the city of some seven million people.
The chief minister appointed former MNA Mian Muhammad Munir as the Lahore president of the party in an attempt to improve the party's electoral performance in the provincial metropolis. In a bid to prepare itself for the local polls and face the challenges ahead, the PML-N started reorganizing itself. All provincial organizations were dissolved to bring the more active people to the fore.
However, opinion is divided about the utility of the exercise especially because of the timing selected for the purpose. One leader said the dissolution of organizations had triggered off infighting in the party which will adversely affect its performance in the local polls.
The year 2004 began with President Musharraf getting a confidence vote on January 1 from parliament and the four provincial assemblies to 'reaffirm' his presidency, as required by the government-MMA agreement on the 17th constitutional amendment.
