In the mood for confrontation?
The five member Supreme Court bench has drawn conclusions which are rife with highly serious implications for the government and the system. Among other things, the court has concluded that prima facie the prime minister has violated his oath while both the president and PM have preferred party loyalty over loyalty to the state and can be held unfit to hold their offices. The charges can have grievous consequences for the government while these could also lead to senior leaders’ disqualification from holding public office over long terms. Acting with judicial restraint, the court has however given an opportunity to the government to defend itself before the larger bench on January 16.
The decision comes in the wake of a serious standoff between the government and the military establishment. Prime Minister Gilani again reiterated the charge that the COAS and DG ISI had violated the rules of business while submitting statements before the memo commission. Meanwhile, sections of the opposition are in full cry demanding fresh elections a year ahead of the completion of the government’s tenure. The knives are out.
Instead of foiling the alleged conspiracies, the PPP, in an act of sheer recklessness, has simultaneously taken on both the army and the SC. It is taking a confrontationist attitude at a time when its standing in the general public has considerably gone down on account of it abysmal performance. Even in Sindh, the stronghold of the party, the common man is unhappy because of the government’s failure to reach out to the rain-cum-flood affected people and over three year long spree of target killings in Karachi. Disregarding saner voices in the party, the PPP leadership has taken the stand that it would not agree to the opening of the Swiss cases. It has also said it would only accept the findings of the parliamentary committee and not those of the memo commission. A continuation of the policy would strengthen its opponents’ view that the party has decided to take the way that leads to martyrdom because it suits the party politically.