BY nominating Raja Pervez Ashraf as the prime minister and getting him elected by the parliament, President Asif Zardari has given a new meaning to the late Benazir Bhutto’s slogan of ‘Democracy is the best revenge’.

It is quite evident that the ‘revenge’ in this scenario is directed towards the country and its people and nobody else.

Mr Ashraf is no more than the next sacrificial lamb offered for slaughter to save the personal ill gotten wealth of a single person. In cricket’s terminology, hopefully to Imran Khan’s liking, he is sent as the ‘night watchman’ to do nothing but try to stay at the crease till the end of the day’s play.

What can people expect from a person whose alleged corruption exceeds his inability to solve the power crisis while he was the federal minister for water and power, despite his numerous deadlines, claims and promises to end loadshedding?

Only time will tell how long the new prime minister will last before he is sent packing like the previous prime minister for the same reason.

Would Asif Zardari be magnanimous in saving the country from the crisis and turmoil by just announcing that this money does not belong to him and that the Pakistan government has the right of claim over it?

ASAD JAMIL Karachi

Democracy & lawyers

THE All-Pakistan Lawyers Convention announced the observance of a black day throughout the country on June 27 against the election of Raja Pervez Ashraf as prime minister. The lawyers are against the new prime minister for his alleged involvement in rental power plant scam.

It is noteworthy that among the 100,000 lawyers present in the country, they are supporters of different political parties while some hold senior positions in political parties. Is there any country in the world where a large number of lawyers support a particular chief justice despite allegations of his son’s involvement in bribery?

It seems that those protesting against the government are actually against democracy in Pakistan. While it is true that the present democratic government has failed on many fronts, it is also true that the worst democracy is better than dictatorship. It is true that every Pakistani is suffering due to violence in the name of ideology, ethnicity and hopeless economic conditions but why not wait for the next election when the real judgement will take place.

It should be understood that the parliament alone represents the will of the people and other national institutions are bound by the Constitution to respect the parliament and its members.

S.T. HUSSAIN Lahore

PPP’s past and present

THE Pakistan Peoples Party was once one of the strongest political parties in Pakistan. It boasted among its ranks powerful and sincere people, fighters and intellectuals. The founder Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was one of the most brilliant leaders with excellent oratory skills and a zeal for politics. There was a time when the PPP had intellectual workers and it was difficult to find a single corrupt person in the party.

But now PPP has become saturated with people who have sucked the life and leadership out of the PPP. It is ironic to see that the PPP’s prime minister, Mr Yousuf Raza Gilani, was dishonourably discharged from his post, and his replacement, Makhdoom Shahabuddin, had an arrest warrant issued before the election of the new prime minister.

The new prime minister Raja Pervez Ashraf (aka Raja Rental), is already facing corruption charges in the rental power project in the Supreme Court. In the past four years when Mr Raja Pervez Ashraf was the minister for water and power, Pakistan suffered the worst electricity loadshedding in its history, mismanaged floods.

I shudder to think what havoc the new prime minister will bring to Pakistan during his tenure.

SHAHRYAR KHAN BASEER Peshawar

Controversial person

THE PPP has selected another controversial person for the coveted seat of the prime minister. The man who failed miserably in running one ministry has been given charge of the country.

This proves one thing that the PPP and all allied parties are not serious in resolving serious issues.

To me, the only solution to the problem is holding fresh elections now and that too under a free Election Commission.

U. K. DAR Manchester, UK