They’re heading straight to the castle
The PMLN leadership continues to avoid entering into controversy over the minutiae of the Panama leaks. It has communicated the ToRs of its choice to the CJP with a request to form a Judicial Commission. The Prime Minister has suddenly become accessible to his party men, meeting PMLN legislators in groups and individually. He has also held a cabinet meeting after seven month. As a public contact exercise, the PM has addressed large meetings at Kotli Sattiyan and Mansehra where he underlined his development agenda and announced new public projects.
This is the first time in the country’s history that a serious attempt is being made to hold a Prime Minister’s scions accountable for their financial dealings. While an accusing finger has been raised by a number of opposition parties, they are not united over a common line of action. Imran Khan is however keen to use the opportunity to affect a government change through street force. The PTI insists on holding a rally at Lahore’s Charing Cross on Sunday calling it a “warming up exercise” for the Raiwind sit-in. The government has refused permission citing security reasons. Any clash between the protesters and the police could lead opposition parties currently reluctant to join the sit-in to sympathise with the PTI and condemn the government. The PMLN needs to learn a lesson from its Model Town misadventure. It should also deal with the Pakistan Awami Tehrik tactfully, as the party holds a sit-in in Islamabad. .
The Panama leaks will continue to cause embarrassment to the government for a long time to come. The matter is finally to land into the National Assembly where votes will count. Besides enjoying majority in the House the PMLN also has the support of nationalist and liberal parties and a religious party with largest parliamentary representation. While the Sharif family will go through a lot of embarrassment, it is likely to emerge battered and bruised but winning a victory – albeit a Pyrrhic one
Lurking behind the Parliament is an old tactic of PML(N) where it has not only majority but support of satellite political parties as well. But this action of the Ruling party is very embarrassing and immoral. And most people outside the Parliament do not support the move. Even if the government gets through, it will be a morale defeat.
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