What to expect
Hopefully the judicial commission will not turn out to be another dead end. Much time and effort has gone into it. And, looking back at the months of the dharna and many more months of back-and-forth negotiations, it is no small miracle that the commission has become a reality. In fact, to give credit where it is due, such a commission would never have come into being had it not been for the relentless pressure exerted by PTI. The party had its share of critics at the time of the dharna, especially when it seemed running out of steam, but that it has achieved a proper judicial probe into a disputed election is a novelty that must be appreciated.
However, a much tougher phase has just started for PTI. It must now back its provocative rhetoric with proof that can live up to legal standards. And PTI’s first appearance before the commission was not very heartening. Clearly the party had not done its homework, despite its year-long obsession with rigging. If it had the proof that led it to jam the entire political system, surely it would have been wise to submit it before the commission. It was PTI, after all, that insisted on the time bar. Why, then, is it delaying proceedings if it has all the proof in the bag?
There are other sensitive issues for the commission to consider as well. And one, of course, is former CJ Ch Iftikhar. Why has he chosen this particular moment to step in? Why the letter to the speaker of the national assembly? Doesn’t his sudden appearance – especially since he is one of PTI’s prime accused – cause more problems than solutions for the commission? It is no secret that much of the judiciary remains feverishly committed to him. Why should he be a bigger concern then than he already is? Hopefully all this and more will become clear very soon when the commission’s verdict comes out. And hopefully all parties concerned will respect its findings.
