Yes, but on all fronts
On certain issues, there can be no nuanced approach. It’s a with-or-against deal. It is heartening to know that PML(N) chief Nawaz Sharif minced no words at a meeting with senior journalists and columnist recently where he declared his categorical stance against martial law.
Is that enough, though? Because between the states of democracy and military rule, there are a lot of mutants. A neither fish nor fowl “national government”, for one. The rise of technocrats (a scary word that conjures up images of a futuristic dystopia) in certain parts of the world, the west even, has emboldened pundits here to harp along those lines.
Selling unequivocal statements about opposition to martial law more than they are worth is setting the bar really low. The real test for born-again democratic statesmen like Nawaz Sharif is the stance taken when it comes to shades of grey, that most cruel of colours. How open is he to a disempowerment of a democratically elected government because of a perpetual siege laid by other institutions, including the media. He has the right – nay, duty – to oppose the government because of his position as leader of the opposition but how much is crossing the line? It is here, perhaps, that his tightrope walk is even tougher than the government’s.
His party filed a petition in the Supreme Court over the memo affair. As citizens, they have all the right to do so. It would be helpful, however, to speak up on another petition filed in the apex court by Senator Zafar Ali Shah, an N-League member himself. That petition that challenged the toppling of the second federal PML(N) government through a military coup. If the court can pick and choose petitions, should the League be playing along? The League has been around the block for a while now and understands the importance of timing. Does it think the memo issue was the right windmill to tilt at?
