Puritan doublespeak

Qadri and Imran aim at what?

The Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Justice (retd) Fakhruddin G Ebrahim has finally reacted to the criticism against ECP and its members terming it as most unfortunate. But this is not going to deter M/s Imran Khan and Tahir ul Qadri who challenging the integrity of ECP members in unison, and are demanding the reconstitution of the commission.

Fakhru Bhai’s integrity is beyond reproach. However this has not deterred the cleric or his newfound ally from demanding that all four members of the ECP should be sent packing.

Understandably the PPPand PML-N have no problem with the presently constituted ECP. After all being represented in the parliament they were party to the consensual arrangement that led to the formation of an independent and impartial Election Commission.

Qadri after a seven year absence from the country wants to reform the ambit of the election process system even at the cost of turning the whole political system upside down. Naturally enjoying the privileges of a Canadian passport he has little at stake in democracy or Pakistan.

Nonetheless what is surprising is the new found love of Imran Khan for the cleric’s agenda. He had successfully resisted the temptation to join Qadri’s bandwagon. Yet after a meeting between the delegations of the two parties, the PTI and PAT decided to join hands calling for a powerful election commission and an impartial caretaker government, “to ensure free and fair general elections”.

In the same meeting PTI and Qadri agreed to oppose any move to get the elections postponed. But in reality, such demands when general elections are just about to be announced in a few weeks are tantamount to throwing a spanner in the works. Shah Mehmood Qureshi claimed with a straight face after the meeting that both the army and the judiciary want continuation of democracy.

The Makhdoom of Multan’s mystic sense probably gives him the insight into the minds of the two institutions. How can anyone guarantee that once these matters are to be decided at the altar of the apex court elections will not be put on hold? And since the present parliament will complete its term in a little over a month, this could prove to be the precursor for a caretaker government lasting more than sixty or ninety days – a la much talked about but discredited Bangladesh model?

In this context Nawaz Sharif’s lament that ‘certain forces’ were conspiring to delay the elections is ominous. The PPP constitutionalist senator Raza Rabbani expressed similar doubts a few days ago.

But why would the Tsunami Khan be a party to such machinations? After all we hear ad nauseam from him and his party stalwarts that the PTI is going to sweep the elections!

Conspiracy theorists claim that after the initial surge the PTI chief feels more threatened from PML-N’s excellent showing in the recent by-elections in Punjab. Similarly they contend that the PPP is making inroads in the South of Punjab making Imran’s dream of sweeping the elections even more elusive.

When he re-launched himself from a massive public rally in Lahore in October 2011, it seemed there was no stopping Imran. The enthusiasm for him amongst the youth and the idealists knew no bounds.

Those who were entirely fed up with the shenanigans of the traditional politicians flocked around him. And then the traditional politician seeing his party ticket as a free pass to the next assemblies started joining him in hordes.

Gradually tsunami of the people that Imran boasted would sweep everyone off their feet has become a tsunami of opportunists joining him. Imran is now surrounded by soldiers of fortune and idealists, while the original core team who sincerely want to do something for Pakistan suddenly find themselves in a minority.

A mixture of political naivety and idealism persuaded the PTI chief to go for party elections. An excellent idea, but most parties run by personalities hardly follow the democratic path they preach for the country within their ranks.

The same criticism is leveled by successive military strongmen against democratic politicians. But as Imran has discovered to his peril it is not an easy task.

The PTI’s elections, which were to conclude last August, are still pending. Meanwhile infighting and groupings within the party have become its scourge.

Elections are on the anvil but the urgent task of awarding party tickets is still pending. Hence in most constituencies there are numerous candidates claiming to be party ticket holders.

Khan’s criticism of Asma Jahangir as a candidate for caretaker prime minister is also somewhat misplaced. Sharing this dyslogistic approach towards her with the mullah, the PTI chief has attacked her integrity as an impartial player. Interestingly her name has been floated by the PML-N and not by the PPP.

But by virtue of some perverse logic she is somehow being portrayed as Zardari’s candidate by the PTI. According to the ‘muk mukaa’ arrangement the caretaker prime minister will be of PPP’s liking whereas Punjab’s caretaker chief minister will be of PML-N’s choice although nominated by the PPP.

Obviously our ubiquitous establishment would never have clearedAsma’s name. Her pro-India views do not sit well with the military’s worldview. And this would have put paid to her candidature. But Imran who claims not having any truck with the establishment, in essence had no qualms about washing their dirty laundry.

Qadri’s agreement with the government being unworkable under the constitution was never going to fly. Now as expected he has filed a petition in the Supreme Court for reconstitution of the ECP. Still adamant on implementation of Articles 62 and 63 of the constitution, in the coming days he has announced a couple of sit-ins in Central Punjab.

Meanwhile leader of the opposition in the National Assembly, Nisar Ali Khan wants the entire field of incumbents ranging from provincial governors to the IGs of Police replaced with ‘impartial’ persons. Similarly Imran wants the president to be sent packing before the elections. All these demands are extra constitutional.

Suddenly everyone has become puritanical about the fair and free elections. In a clear break from the past there is an independent election commission headed by a person of integrity, a caretaker government is to be formed before elections are announced while media and independent courts are overseeing the process.

What more do we want? Is there a conspiracy to delay the elections in the name of free and fair elections? Wittingly or unwittingly, some of our august politicians are a party to it.

Hopefully Zardari will tie up some of the loose ends – and there are many now – in his impending meeting with Nawaz Sharif during his visit to Lahore.

The writer is Editor, Pakistan Today