Take the bull by the horns

No place for theocracy

The religious parties would be mightily mistaken if they think they can overthrow the PML-N government through a 1977 type movement. ZAB’s s short-sighted policy of nationalising even the small and medium sized enterprises had alienated the entire business community which was champing at the bit to come out into the streets to overthrow Bhutto. Today, despite the spat over bringing it under tax net, the powerful class considers no party other than the PML-N capable of safeguarding its interests. Bhutto had dismissed the Balochistan government leading the NAP government in NWFP (now KP) to resign. He then got the party banned, arrested its leadership and instituted the fake Hyderabad Conspiracy case against them thus alienating the nationalists in two provinces. The bureaucracy had gone overboard to rig the polls. To crown it all Ziaul Haq was waiting for an opportunity to impose martial law. The PML-N commands majority in Parliament. Any threat to the system would lead PPP, ANP, National Party, and PkMAP to come out openly in government’s support. The army chief is apolitical.

Opposition to the Women’s Protection Act is just a ruse. What rankles the religious parties is the National Action Plan fully supported by the nation and its army. The religious parties draw sustenance from seminaries and are unhappy over the prospect of independent oversight of madrassas’ finances or sealing of some of the seminaries for promoting terrorism. The arrest of prayer leaders and clerics over hate speech and for distributing hate literature is also unacceptable to them.

There is a need on the part of the PML-N to take the opposition parties into confidence over the Women’s Protection Act and if necessary get the Parliament pass a similar bill for the country. Any agitation at a time when Pakistan is fighting an existential battle against terrorists amounts to sabotaging the attempts to bring peace. It is in national interest to get rid of extremism and project Pakistan’s image as a moderate, progressive and democratic country rather than a theocratic state.