It’s his third chance; Nawaz Sharif has to deliver
As Mr Nawaz Sharif took oath from President Asif Ali Zardari, after being formally elected as Prime Minister by the National Assembly, he scripted the beginning of a new chapter, both in his own political career and in Pakistani history. The two-time Prime Minister survived a military coup and a seven-year-long exile only to return home to participate in the historic May 11 general election that paved the way for the first ever democratic transition of power in Pakistan as well as an unprecedented third term in office for Mr Sharif. And while the symbolic value of all this is promising, a long and arduous road lies ahead for Mr Sharif. India will be watching this journey closely, and ideally with a degree of cautious optimism. During the course of his election campaign, Mr Sharif was especially vocal about his plans to improve relations with India. He promised to pick up from where he and his then Indian counterpart, Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee, had been interrupted in lahore in 1999. This has already led many to hope that Mr Sharif will usher in a new era in India-Pakistan relations, although it is yet to be seen how far the new Prime Minister can keep his word. Those cheering Mr Sharif's return to power should remember that, while he still remains India's best bet in Pakistan, one must not go overboard with expectations of him. Mr Sharif has before him the tremendously challenging task of effectively rebuilding the Pakistani state. This is, as it should be, the priority item on his prime ministerial agenda as was also evident from his Wednesday speech (wherein he made no mention of India) at the National Assembly. Pakistan’s economy is in shambles, prices of essential goods are rising, foreign exchange reserves are dwindling, unemployment is soaring and investor-confidence is negligible. He has, therefore, done the sensible thing in stating soon after he took charge that reviving the country’s economy will be his immediate concern.
Equally importantly, Pakistan is in the grips of a debilitating energy crisis that has fuelled domestic unrest. In fact, it was Mr Sharif's electoral vow to resolve this crisis that experts believe swept him to power. Now, as he seeks to deliver on his promises, Mr Sharif is already looking to cut a deal with Saudi Arabia (allowing him to defer payments on oil imports that will somewhat ease both the financial and the energy pressures). He also hopes that China will agree to cooperate in the area of civil nuclear energy technology. India, on its part, has done well to offer assistance to Pakistan in extracting Thar lignite coal and also setting up a mega power plant. But while gestures such as these should help strengthen bilateral ties, especially with a seemingly India-friendly political dispensation at the helm, the fact of the matter remains that it is not Mr Sharif and his colleagues in Islamabad, but the Generals of Rawalpindi, that determine Pakistan's relations with India.