The list would be rather long
They are both dead serious, Chaudhry Shujaat and Nawaz Sharif are. But their ongoing spat is rather hilarious. A case of the pot calling the kettle a protege of the establishment.
The current tit-for-tat started when the PML(N) supremo presided a press conference where he welcomed former Q stalwart Marvi Memon into the party. Now Ms Memon wasn’t known for pulling any punches, especially against the Sharifs during her one-and-a-half stint in parliament.
When the PML(N) pulled out all the stops welcoming her into the party, with the senior Mr Sharif conducting the event himself, the natural choice of questions for the reporters present was whether the League would also accept the Chaudhrys from that other League with as much warmth. Yes, if only they apologise for supporting the dictator Musharraf.
This riled the Gujarat politician. Yes, we’ll apologise, came the answer, but only after the Sharifs apologise for being the products of the Zia era – which, incidentally, applied to the Chaudhry as well but, in his defence, at least he wasn’t the one who brought the subject up.
No mainstream political party is absolutely spotless as far as the establishment’s patronage is concerned. Mr Bhutto spent a good time in Ayub Khan’s cabinet. Even perpetual establishment gadfly ANP also spent several months in Zia’s cabinet; lesser crime in scale, sure, but a crime nonetheless.
But the Leagues are in a league of their own when it comes to the subject. The N League’s indignation seems non-sensical at times. The Q League are now a part of the treasury benches, giving the PPP government some much needed support. Where should one consider the League’s sins to have been washed on this front?
At a time when a new “League” is in the works (no need, historically, for a League to contain the very word in its name; the Republican Party of ‘55, anyone?) there needs to be an eye on the bigger picture in such matters. This is an issue that should cut across the political divide of the country. It is an affront to our great nation for parties to accuse each other (and truthfully, no less!) of using the deep state to get power.
Spot on, its all empty gestures from these clowns. They are playing their fiddles while rome burns
@ PTI troll 76: Ummm…I hope you do realise…. 'At a time when a new “League” is in the works (no need, historically, for a League to contain the very word in its name; the Republican Party of ‘55, anyone?)' the editorial is talking about the PTI?
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