On the right track yet a lot remains to be done
The rallies by the PTI and PAT held at a time of visible tensions between the government and army, have raised concerns about the fate of the system. They have however elicited different reactions from different parties. Some of the PML-N leaders have accused the PTI chief of acting as a cat’s paw in the hands of forces which are keen to overthrow the system. The PPP leaders on the other hand have issued conciliatory statements aimed at encouraging Khan to resolving his disputes inside the Parliament with the help of other opposition parties. The PkMAP leader Mahmud Achakzai obliquely criticised the role of the government in the ongoing stand-off between a media house and the ISI.
Abid Sher Ali expressed apprehension that Imran Khan was trying to sabotage democracy. Similar views were articulated by Khwaja Saad Rafiq who insisted that there was more to the Imran show than met the eye. The sudden bonhomie between MQM and PTI and the visit by a high level PTI delegation to Ch Shujaat Hussain’s residence was also looked at with suspicions by some. Leader of the Opposition Khursheed Shah however empathised with the PTI’s concerns regarding rigging and called upon the Election Commissioners to resign after the allegations levelled by Imran Khan. Shah also announced convening of a joint session of the PTI, Jamaat-i-Islami and PPP to work together on proposals for electoral reforms and forward them to the government.
Meanwhile Mian Nawaz Sharif presided over a top level security meeting at Governor House in Karachi. The COAS pledged full support for the peace efforts. DIG Rangers expressed confidence that the operation’s aims could be achieved without calling in the army if there was support from the political parties which was currently lacking. While the high level meeting indicated more political will to bring peace to Karachi than ever before, the movement on the ground remained dismal. It was discouraging to note that a number of decisions taken at the last meeting presided over by the PM remained unimplemented. The illegal SIMS could not be put out of use and the red warrants of the top criminals slipping out of the country could not be issued. Only time will tell if the presence of so many high ranking civil and military officials alone can make much difference. Nawaz Sharif invited former President Asif Ali Zardari and leaders of ANP, MQM and JI also to attend the briefing. Unless more effort is put in to reach out to the opposition, the invitation is likely to be interpreted as a political gimmick.
