New Era of Good Governance

(Amna Malik, Islamabad)

Governance is not an easy job, especially in the sub-continent where the rulers and politicians have had a difficult time connecting with people. It’s true that not many have been able to gain the trust of their people due to bad practices. Further, the successive military takeovers and hijacking of the state machinery has left an uneasy relationship between people and their leaders. Thus, despite the reinstatement of democracy after a long spell of mismanagement and dictatorships the nation still harbours ill feelings for those who they themselves have elected.

The current regime believes in reversing this trend and to begin a new era of governance where the connection between people and their leaders is established anew and affairs of the state is managed in all sincerity. The younger members of parliament are found working and contributing with a renewed zeal and fervor. Hamza Shabaz a young member of parliament and member of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) is one such leader who has proved himself as capable as his father Shahbaz Sharif. He talks with a sense of purpose to bring about better governance that changes older practices.

To change perceptions and mindset is not an easy job and certainly not one that can be done overnight. It takes a lot of patience and perseverance from the leaders who are the custodians and guardians of the State and the people. Governance in this backdrop becomes the most challenging task. But where there is a will, surely there emerges ways and means to turn the most impossible feat into a possibility. There have been difficult time, but to emerge out of them unscathed speaks of the character of a person.

Hamza has proved his worth in the most difficult times of trials and tribulations during the autocratic rule of general Musharraf who had imprisoned the then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and sent him into exile. He not only supported his family but readily and courageously took charge of the party. His contribution in keeping his party members united and the political party PML-N alive and afloat is unprecedented in this background.

The current government has embarked upon this journey with the complete realization that there will be times when things may appear bleak, but this does not stand as an obstacle, in fact it has served as a motivation to accelerate their effort to provide relief to the people. Take the case of terrorism in the country that had been facing this menace for well over a decade. Both the armed forces and the civil society had been protesting against the lack of the government’s writ and its inability in reversing it. Operation after operation had been launched and no concrete change could be observed.

Hamza, in this regard has rightly stated that Pakistan is in the state of war where the nation is making a clean headway against the terrorists. Their backbone has been severely damaged and the nation, the leadership and the armed forces all stand together in hunting the terrorists. In this

situation, the nation needs to become stable thus questioning the need for sit-ins that has become counterproductive for the country and the economic activities.

His is the only sane voice among the politicians that calls for all religious and political parties to come on one pitch in war against terrorism so that the menace of terrorism could be eradicated forever. The entire nation is supporting Pak-Army in its action against terrorism. Also, trends of sectarianism, extremism and intolerance are negation of democracy and destruction for the future of the nation and the country thus pressing the need that Ulema and religious scholars should also play their role for the eradication of these trends.

Dharna politics has become a famous trend in the present day Pakistan where politician are using the raw emotions of the public to spew up hatred against the current regime and creating chaos in the political environment. Talking about the dharna politics, Hamza Shahbaz has ruled out any threat to the government due to “dharna politics” of some political parties, thus bringing relief to many investors and financers who have been wanting to contribute to the economic activity in Pakistan. He has many a time reiterated in the media that major political parties of the country have shunned politics of sit-ins and advised them to refrain from indulging in such politics. He has, in this back drop, many a times suggested that the chief of the protesting party ought to join national assembly sessions to discuss the plight of the IDPs due to military operation in North Waziristan Agency (NWA) instead of creating chaos through aimless pursuits of long-marches and sit-ins.

Hamza, adhering to the party’s policy of peaceful solution through dialogue and discussion posits that all parties require to display sportsman spirit and not create obstacles in progress and development’s way for the country. Keeping the party’s integrity intact, Hamza Shahbaz along with other members of his party, has rejected all unfair demands made by protesting parties that become a hindrance in the face of democratic practices. The nation needs stability and not disorder. We have to respect the millions of people who have voted for PML-N and given it mandate for five years

PML-N has been doing everything for betterment and development of Pakistan adding that the economy of the country has improved as world financial bodies show confidence on government policies. Hamza Shahbaz, through his dedication and commitment has been able to earn the trust of the civil society and the traders community who have shown confidence in the government’s efforts in various sectors. Talking about these efforts he asserts that “Government is constructing dams and power generation projects for curbing the menace of load shedding. We are working on Lahore-Karachi Motorway, Pak-China Economic Corridor and Gawadar Port”, that clearly indicate progress.

Believing in the higher leadership of the party, Hamza Shahbaz believes that Pakistan will turn into a nation of enlightenment and that the government is making sincere efforts for bringing the country out of quagmire of problems but some politicians in lust of power are out to detract the country in its journey to development. People fully know these political opportunists and are not ready to become a tool in their hands,

True governance is not the amount of work done in a given time frame but the amount of time that a representative invests in his people and supporters. The depth of their association with each other! How well the connection between leader and people is established. The strength of this bond is seen at times of crises where the pain of one is felt by the other. Hamza has always been the one to feel empathy towards the people who have voted for him and lend their unwavering support. Condolences extended towards families of martyred supporters, being directly involved in the welfare of the IDP’s and the disaster struck flood affectee, one can easily see why he is loved and supported by hundreds and thousands of people.(Ends)
 

Amna Malik
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