Pakistan will shortly have a new prime minister, Makhdoom Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani. A former speaker of the National Assembly, 55-year-old Gilani is a longtime loyalist of the Pakistan People’s Party from the Seraiki region in south Punjab. Indians — who are familiar with the slow pace at which the wheels of democracy grind, especially when new political coalitions are being stitched together — will hardly be surprised at the prolonged consultations between the PPP and other parties that preceded Gilani’s nomination. Nor will they be shocked by the open disagreements within the PPP on who should be the PM. Asif Ali Zardari, who has taken charge of the PPP since the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, has shown some skill in mobilising the widest possible consensus behind the new government to be headed by Gilani.What we have seen in Pakistan since the February 18 elections is rather impressive; yet, it is the easier part. Gilani’s troubles begin the very moment he is sworn in on Tuesday by President Pervez Musharraf. Gilani will have to overcome the widespread impression that he might be either a mere “temp” keeping the PM’s chair warm for Zardari or just a putty in the hands of the party leader. A dignified and credible working relationship between the two is essential for the success of Pakistan’s renewed experimentation with democracy. Gilani’s first task will be to manage the looming political confrontation with President Musharraf. Bowing to demands from a section of the coalition, the PPP had promised to get the new parliament to act within 30 days on the restoration of judges sacked by Musharraf last year. Musharraf, who fears the judiciary might invalidate his election, is bound to resist. That is not all. Pakistan’s economy is in a shambles amidst the collapse of governance and massive inflation. Heading a nation at the very frontline of the global war on terror, Gilani faces immense pressures from two different sources. At home there are demands to disengage from the US and negotiate peace with the militants. The US, which has been Pakistan’s principal benefactor since 2001, wants an intensified effort against the terrorists in the borderlands with Afghanistan.Gilani needs the blessings of all the saints that Multan is famous for. He could also do with a few political gestures from New Delhi. India’s stakes in a stable and forward-looking regime next door are immense. India would be helping itself if it makes early moves to build trust with Pakistan’s new rulers and paves the way for the next steps in the stalled peace process.
