And a bit of irony
On Saturday Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif accompanied by wife Kulsoom Nawaz and son Hussain Nawaz visited Gilani House. A week earlier Shahbaz Sharif had made a similar pilgrimage. The stated purpose was to congratulate the Gilani family on the return of their son after three years of captivity. The real motive, as highlighted by the media, was to seek PPP’s political support on Panamagate. In 2012, soon after Yousaf Raza Gilani was convicted of contempt of court, Nawaz Sharif demanded that he resign forthwith “without causing further crisis”. Shahbaz Sharif too had issued a similar call. One can hardly miss the irony in the situation.
The come down on the part of the Sharif brothers has been dictated by dire necessity. Corruption is the talk of the town with the Sharif family under focus on account of Panama leaks. The CJ maintains that corruption and incompetence are eating into the country and retarding its march towards prosperity. Across the board accountability is necessary for the solidarity, integrity and prosperity of Pakistan, chimes in the COAS. The army chief further insists that any exercise in accountability has to be across the board. The joint opposition meanwhile is bent upon starting the process of accountability with the Sharif family. The Sharifs desperately need the PPP’s support.
Unlike August 2014 when the PPP bailed out the PML-N government, the system is not under threat. Even if Nawaz Sharif is required to leave office after found to be involved in the Panama scam, another PML-N leader can take his place with the support of the majority the party commands in National Assembly. Besides taking credit for weakening the PML-N, PPP would have two years to work out alliances and seat adjustments in Punjab, possibly even with the PTI. The PPP can however ill afford to make a U-turn after having taken the lead along with PTI in the ongoing campaign for Panamagate enquiry. For one it cannot forgo its own demand for starting the process of accountability with Nawaz Sharif.
The purpose to visit Gilanis was genuine but the intent was more than malice. Next, Sharifs would now go to deserted 90. In Pakistan Politics, how low one can go !
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