On the warpath
Old habits die hard. In the case of senior politicians, however, this aspect of human frailty can lead to disastrous results not only for them personally but also for the system. One had hoped that Nawaz Sharif who had acted responsibly for over four years of the present government would be able to keep the PML(N) firebrands under control, instead of being swayed by them. This would have created a new record of letting a peaceful transition of power to take place. The press conference on Monday has therefore dismayed those who supported the right of the governments to complete their tenure. The old impatience was back. A final ultimatum was delivered to Gilani to quit or face the PML(N)’s wrath. A call to arms was issued, “If people do not come out (in streets), there will be chaos and anarchy in the country.” Many think there could be chaos and anarchy if they did. An invitation was issued to other opposition parties to join hands “to save Pakistan”. Nawaz said those who did not come out to save the country would be committing treason. This is political hyperbole that characterised the 1990’s, an era one had hoped would never recur as the politicians promised that they would never repeat the mistakes of the past.
Meanwhile Gen Kayani who had left politics to politicians has sounded a note of warning to all stakeholders in the system calling on them to resolve their differences while remaining within the constitutional limits. Recalling that the sole purpose of a democratic system is welfare and prosperity of the masses, he has called on everyone not to forget it. This is a reminder that notwithstanding the army chief’s promise not to meddle in politics, the military remains the final arbiter in case the situation takes a nasty turn.
The PML(N) is within its rights to protest but it must abjure a recourse to extra-constitutional means of removing the government. It would do well to wait for the detailed SC judgment and the final disposal of Gilani’s appeal before deciding on the legality of his tenure. In the meanwhile, there is a lot of other work for the PML(N) to do. This includes reaching an agreement on a permanent chief of election commission.