Qadri and Imran: On the same wavelength

…but on the wrong path

There is a proverb saying that “Happy is the country which has no history”. Pakistan unfortunately has a history. A history of betrayal of the vision of the founding father, self-inflicted tragedies, contrived changes through creation of chaos and turmoil and interventions by military adventurers who not only mutilated the constitution and destroyed the state institutions but also made conscious efforts to ensure that democracy did not take roots in the country.

The cumulative effect of these shenanigans is that Pakistan faces an existentialist threat from terrorism; national unity has been rent asunder by the rising monster of sectarianism, the industrial hub of Pakistan is in the clutches of land grabbers, extortionists and drug mafias supported by different political parties who are engaged in a mad turf war with each other and killing innocent people; Balochistan, the biggest territorial unit of the federation, is seething with insurgency; overall law and order situation is absolutely precarious with economy in tatters.

Now when the country seemed moving away from the traditional madness and well on the road to consolidate the gains of the revival of democracy, the traditional agent provocateurs have again raised their ugly heads to destabilise the system by creating anarchy and disorder, ostensibly to provide an excuse to the praetorian powers to make their move. We are witnessing the emergence of a deadly combination of revolution and tsunami. Although there is no formal alliance visible between Tahirul Qadri, the proponent of a revolution and Imran Khan the advocate of tsunami, yet they seem to be on the same wave length in regards to bringing down the PML-N government through street agitation, though for different reasons.

The alliance of Qadri with Chaudhrys of Gujrat and Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed who are known henchmen of the military establishment and have invariably entered the corridors of power on the shoulders of their mentors, and now the well known connections with AML of the former dictator General Pervez Musharraf, sheds sufficient light on whose behalf he is trying to orchestrate his so-called revolution, without the presence of the necessary ingredients that propel revolutions. We neither have the revolt of the proletariat nor is there a popular uprising against the existing system.

The people of Pakistan, whenever they have been given the chance to express their will, have invariably put their faith in democracy. The unprecedented high percentage of turnout of voters in the elections 2013 was a ranting proof of the fact that people wanted continuation of democracy and change through an evolutionary process within the parameters of the constitution. As is said, the worst democracy is better than a benign dictatorship, Pakistan’s future is inextricably linked with democracy, as envisioned by the father of the nation.

The democracy, notwithstanding a number of inadequacies, is working well. The economy as a result of the economic initiatives taken by the government is showing signs of recovery, as endorsed and corroborated by international institutions like the IMF, World Bank and the prestigious Gallop Poll. The government has also launched a decisive military campaign against the terrorists which is going well. It is also trying to grapple with the issues connected to providing succour to the IDPs and their likely rehabilitation when North Waziristan is cleared of the terrorists, an undertaking which needs an unqualified and uninterrupted support of all the segments of the society and the stakeholders in the future of this country. The government has also taken initiatives to form a parliamentary committee to recommend reforms in the electoral system. These are all encouraging developments. Trying to dissuade the government from dealing with these issues effectively and engaging it in a confrontation with the so-called revolutionaries, undoubtedly has something sinister about it. There are credible indications that these protests and sit-ins are likely to trigger violence.

Imran Khan has also threatened to unfurl his tsunami on 14^th August by gathering a crowd of 10 million at Islamabad (which he has hinted at not undertaking afterall). His demands and rationale for launching a campaign against the government are a misdirected adventure. The present government neither held the elections nor has any thing to do with the disposal of the petitions filed by PTI in the election tribunals. It is no doubt regrettable that the election tribunals have not disposed off those petitions within the stipulated time and delayed decisions on them. The authority which can dilate on the conduct of the judges forming the election tribunals and order them to expedite their decision on the petitions is the Supreme Judicial Council. PTI is better advised to approach the proper forum to have its grievances addressed rather than resorting to street agitation. Imran Khan is a political leader in his own right and a staunch advocate of democratic and constitutional norms. His party is ruling Pakhtunkhwa and he has a good presence in the National Assembly as well. He should refrain from playing into the hands of anti-democracy forces, consciously or unconsciously, and creating a situation which could be exploited by them.

The formation of alliances and getting together of the disgruntled political elements in Pakistan does not have an enviable history. The conglomeration of such elements in the past has always led to derailment of democracy and dismissal of the elected governments through unconstitutional means. The portents this time are also very ominous in the backdrop of reports about differences between the government and the establishment on various issues including the trial of Pervez Musharraf. The threat element to the system was also impliedly alluded to by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif when addressing the ground breaking ceremony of Dassu Dam he said, “We will change country’s fate if allowed to complete term.” It is so unfortunate to say the least.

One redeeming factor in this dismal scenario is that the major political parties including PPP, ANP and other smaller entities are standing with the government in defending democracy, ensuring continuation of the system and bringing reforms through constitutional means. The media, as a defender of human liberties and democracy, has a national obligation in educating the masses about what was at stake and how the anti-democracy forces could be kept at bay by not falling for their antics. This is only possible when it does not allow the polarisation within its ranks and mutual animosities, to override the national causes.