By Hammad Ahsan –
Star gazers predict time may be up for Zardari, MQM to struggle even in strongholds, PML-N may lead coalition, PTI won’t be able to realize dream of change
Predictions for 2013
With 2012 barely having hung its hypothetical boots, and the world having escaped a potentially disastrous end on 21.12.2012, Pakistan is now faced with perhaps, one of its most crucial years, in 2013.
It is shaping up to be one of those rare election years where challengers to the political status quo seem to popping up left, right, and centre.
So, how exactly is 2013 going to pan out? Will Pakistan really see its first free and fair elections in decades? According to star gazers, and no we’re not talking about astronomers, 2013 is still up in the air, and the jury is still out on what the year is going to be like. Unsurprisingly, there are some interesting predictions for what the year will hold. Though just how many of these predictions will stand the test of time will be something that Pakistanis will just have to wait and watch.
Elections
As ever, the elections remain a popular subject in Pakistan’s socio-political circles. As such, it is also one of the more popular questions fielded by astrologers and numerologists, and, predictably, many divergent outcomes are being prophesised.
Whilst one astrologist-cum-numerologist, Raja Aziz Ur Rahman, predicts free and fair elections come March, not all his contemporaries agree. Faisal Amin, also an astrologer, goes out of his way to impress otherwise. “These elections will see massive rigging, and there’s a high probability that these will be challenged in the courts of law. If that happens, we’re bound to see by-elections, or even re-elections, taking place.”
Others in Faisal’s circles seem to voice similar views as well, with Azhar Saleem, a Lahore-based astrologer, also in doubt about the fairness of the upcoming elections. “I don’t see the elections being held in true spirit.” This notwithstanding, Faisal does predict direct divine intervention, too.
Despite this, all are in agreement that the next government will be a coalition set-up, with Raja Aziz predicting it to be a PML-N-led coalition.
Politics
However, this dissension in views seems to fall a notch when the subject shifts from the upcoming elections to a holistic discourse of national politics, as all three astrologers voice similar views on what the future holds for the country’s political set-up.
Faisal Amin, for instance, discusses the country’s incumbent president saying, “Zardari will have no place in the political set-up that is going to shape up in 2013.”
Azhar Saleem and Raja Aziz both put this in milder terms when they say that Zardari will complete his tenure and then leave. They all also highlight the judiciary’s significance in ensuring a smooth transition.
Similarly, all three astrologers agree on MQM losing its eminence in national politics in a post-election Pakistan.
While Faisal predicts the MQM “will badly lose face to the PPP in Sindh and Karachi”, Raja Aziz goes even further and predicts the number of seats that will be knocked off MQM’s tally: 5-6.
These gentlemen are also in consensus with regards to Imran Khan and his Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf. They all seem to agree that the PTI is setting itself up for failure.
Azhar says even though Imran Khan will gain increased relevance in national politics, “his stars are not yet favourable enough to let him come into power”.
In similar vein, Faisal carries this prediction forward, saying, “Imran Khan will see a consolation victory in Punjab, where the PML-N and the PPP will have to band together to defeat him. And in all likeliness, he is also going to be the one to challenge the election results in court!”
Interestingly, Raja Aziz again gives a figure to gauge Imran’s victory: “10 seats”
Economy
This unanimity, unfortunately, does not translate into predictions about the other more critical facets of Pakistan’s future – economy, for instance. All three astrologers arrive to different predictions about the June budget after their calculations.
Whereas Raja Aziz predicts that the upcoming budget will improve things and provide the populace with some relief, with inflation being brought under relative control, the other two astrologers on the panel disagree vehemently.
Faisal foresees that not only will the people of Pakistan find themselves faced with a hostile budget, but that “a major stock exchange scandal will also be discovered come this March.”
Azhar, too, is also bearish. “Until June, things are only going to get worse economically, and Pakistan’s future, economic or otherwise, might even be at stake!”
He does, however, also talk about a positive Jupiter-to-Jupiter aspect after June for Pakistan, following which things will improve.
Najaf Shah, also an astrologer/numerologist based in Rawalpindi, unfortunately makes an even more dire prediction in his only contribution, “Expect the U.S. dollar to get close to Rs 120 in the next year, that’s how bad things will get.”
Foreign relations
A milder divergence of opinions also exists in the discourse about the country’s foreign relations. Azhar Saleem predicts Pakistan’s relations continuing in the same vein with all its neighbours except Kabul, with whom things are expected to worsen somewhat for the next five years — as would ties with the U.S.
Raja Aziz, on the other hand, whilst foreseeing similar relations with Afghanistan, does predict improved relations with China, the U.S. and India. However, none of them see the Pak-Iran Gas Pipeline coming to fruition thanks to American pressure.
It is Faisal, however, who puts forward the most controversial, and disturbing predictions.
“While the U.S. will treat us even worse, that isn’t unexpected. More notably, though, our relations with India will deteriorate significantly with Indian military adventurism and strong arming imminent in the coming year.”
Faisal further continues, “India will only do this with U.S. backing, however they will still not be able to resolve Kashmir.” He also notes that “China will be too busy with its own internal conflicts to matter much to us in our hour of need.”
National issues
Interestingly, all gentlemen had some positives to take away from the upcoming year. Whilst both Azhar and Faisal were bearish about the country’s direction until June to October, all three astrologers predicted gas and electricity issues being resolved in the next three to five years, starting with 2013. A similar sentiment was also expressed about terrorism, though no immediate relief is apparent in 2013.
Enthusing hope, Faisal Amin forecasts, “Things will get worse before they get better. And 2013 will give Pakistan what it needs most, a true leadership, (but) from outside the political parties.”
He did, however, also warn that censorship will become an important factor, “Censorship is governed by Uranus, and right now its position isn’t doing us any favours.”
Azhar, however, was still critical of the country’s fortunes. “Pakistan’s date of birth corresponds to that of the fractured sun. We just aren’t destined for true leadership.”
Whether we are, or are not, and what the upcoming year holds for us, however, still remains to be seen. After all, 360 something days are a long time for unexpected things to happen.
The writer is a journalist based in Islamabad