Keeping one’s fingers crossed

The essence of real power is its indivisibility: as the adage goes, there cannot be two kings in a kingdom, or according to another version, two captains sink a ship. Modern-day constitutions attempt to define the respective powers of the various pillars of the state, often laying down clear checks and balances relating to each organ, in order to maintain a harmonious or workable equilibrium.

But, as any student of politics (it is a moot point to call it a ‘science’ because of the unpredictable human element) most things political have a momentum and dynamics of their own, and more often than not, tend to go awry in practice. It is called the ‘force of circumstances’, perhaps the most overwhelming force of all.

What better (or unfortunate) example, can there be to illustrate the yawning gap between theory and the reality, the slip betwixt the cup and the lip, than our own sorry polity?

It must be confessed that the question of ‘the man who would be king’ in Pakistan has never really been settled so far in a mutually acceptable spirit of accommodation and democratic norms by the principal players.

The concept of the eminence grise, the real power behind the throne, still holds sway, and is exposed especially when a democratically elected(it is immaterial how incompetent, corrupt or ‘unpatriotic’) makes even a feeble attempt at pursuing its own course, dictated by purely political factors.

The concept of the eminence grise, the real power behind the throne, still holds sway, and is exposed especially when a democratically elected(it is immaterial how incompetent, corrupt or ‘unpatriotic’) makes even a feeble attempt at pursuing its own course, dictated by purely political factors.

Here it would be fair to reiterate that our politicos as a class also generally tend to be self-centred, self-righteous, and concerned only with their own vested (read business) interests.

The present round of hostilities is said to be centred round the person of the former army chief, and his trial for treason, on which the ruling party (or a hardline faction within it) seems to be hell-bent, whatever the consequences. The verbal barrage of the two Khawajas elicited a strong response from the incumbent chief at the headquarters of the SSG, of which elite force Musharraf was (embarrassingly?) one ages ago.

Then there is the little matter of talking to the TTP, with the government determined to follow the ‘jaw-jaw’ path, and its release of 19 Taliban prisoners in rather indecent haste, one must admit.

But the army has many other things on its radar, and given its peculiar historical mindset and the ‘drifting’ unfocussed nature of the Zardari and now Nawaz Sharif leadership, it would automatically assume that it alone has the capability and the vigour to tackle the rapidly arising threats.

But the army has many other things on its radar, and given its peculiar historical mindset and the ‘drifting’ unfocussed nature of the Zardari and now Nawaz Sharif leadership, it would automatically assume that it alone has the capability and the vigour to tackle the rapidly arising threats. Internally, of course, these are the terrorists holed up in North Waziristan and the expanding reach of the Baloch militants, with the implacable foe and arch-enemy gleefully fishing in our troubled waters.

Externally, the situation in Afghanistan after the 2014 US withdrawal, the possible election of the ideologically anti-Pakistan and Muslim-hater Narendra Modi and his cohorts in New Delhi in the ongoing elections, not to mention the growing hostility of Iran (that accursed $1.5 billion ‘gift’ or ‘grant’ will surely turn out to be a costly ‘Trojan Horse’), and speaking of horses, there is also that dark horse, the MQM leadership to be factored in, what with its daily dose of whining, complaints and outright threats, now that it is out of power.

At the same time, little has changed (for the better, that is) for the ordinary citizen under the new political dispensation. Inflation is rampant, the law and order situation is out of control, corruption continues unhindered on its merry way, blasts still take place, and load-shedding, the soul-destroying and utterly demoralising load-shedding, keeps on increasing (ironically so do the power rates!) by the day, while the whopping Rs. 500 billion paid to settle the circular debt has apparently sunk without a trace. The politicians have let the electorate (there seems no limit to its robust optimism) down yet again, and the bold decisions needed to reverse the rot are nowhere to be seen. Nor is the hard work, with ministerial noses to the grindstone in 26 hour working days, by borrowing two hours from the next day!

Here it would be fair to reiterate that our politicos as a class also generally tend to be self-centred, self-righteous, and concerned only with their own vested (read business) interests.

It is only when the civilian government fails to deliver and people justly start complaining that the party of the second part begins flexing its muscles. The ruling party has proved itself utterly inept to confront the array of problems facing the country, it has failed in almost every sphere, and out-of-the-box or creative solutions have not been forthcoming to provide some modicum of relief to people sinking more deeply into the poverty and debt trap.

It seems that the weak and wavering leadership lacks the self-belief (talk of vision would be an absurd joke), the political will and the cerebral power to undertake the admittedly Herculean task of bringing the country back on the right track. Meanwhile, as everybody knows, Nature abhors a vacuum, and though some of the things the latter is replaced with may even be more abhorrent, it would be wise to keep one’s fingers crossed in the coming days and months.