Tripping on the tight rope
After this year’s budget was announced, an acquaintance took to Facebook with her opinion.
“MashaAllah. MashaAllah. MashaAllah” she wrote: “Tax. Tax. Tax. It’s like that nun on Game of Thrones chanting: ‘Shame. Shame. Shame.’”
Truth be told, “Shame, shame, shame” feels like a very accurate way to sum up the general response to the N league’s third time in power. Much like the Lannisters from HBO’s Game of Thrones, the N league has weathered mighty storms, righteous religious fury and great scandals. And yet, inexplicably, the ruling party – and its ruling family – is still standing.
Lack of Planning, Lack of Foresight, Lack of Action: The PML-N’s triple threat
Lack of planning seems to be a running theme in the PML-N’s regime – at a cost. When the PTI/PAT dharnas took place in 2014, the resulting crisis could find its blame solely on the PML-N’s shoulders. Rather than accounting for the outrage over the allegations of ballot fixing during the 2013 elections, the PML-N decided to follow another policy – deny, deny, deny. That cost the ruling party when the PTI made good on its threats and, like the PAT, took to the streets. It made laughing stocks of the lawmakers when they were forced to huddle in the Parliament before eventually sneaking out via a rear exit, while the nation lay siege outside. As a former professor of mine noted, it was something out of the history books, and was compared in the media to the French Revolution’s attack on the Bastile. The State, failing in their initial bid to deter the protestors, had offered no further resistance in a bid to either
- sit out the proceedings, expecting them to end soon and
- defame the protestors by presenting itself (i.e.: the State) as a compliant, willing negotiator.
This may have proven to be a suitable plan- had the State not grossly underestimated the resolve of the protestors, who would eventually fully disperse, but only after four months of continuous protest. Here, therefore, the State displayed a lack of foresight that would cost it credibility and precious resources while securing the Red Zone, official’s homes and State Buildings. Not only did the resulting security situation cost us a visit from the Chinese premiere, it cost the government over a billion rupees in security arrangements and cost the economy approximately PKR 20 billion according to reports. The dharnas did eventually end, but it was not through any efforts on behalf of the PML-N, whose actions were based solely on reciprocity instead of a plan of action or policy. That appears to be a common trend – there is also still a lack of action on the 20 point National Action Plan, which speaks volumes over the regime’s seriousness in tackling the country’s security situation.
When in doubt: deny, deny, and then deny some more
Immediately following the 2013 elections, the PTI in particular had been vocal in its outrage over what it called “fixing” in the elections. Had the government been open to an inquiry at that time, it could have avoided much bloodshed, and may have earned the respect of the people. Similar to its actions in the 2014 Dharnas though, even when the inquiry took place, the State’s response was based on reciprocity. Thus the PML-N denied all allegations and there was much mud-slinging as Pakistani viewers were treated to a round of verbal warfare that – in hindsight – was practically “Trump-esque” in its vitrol.
PTI’s fight to have the election results of 2013 investigated seemed to eventually come to fruition when the Election Commission declared the results of four constituencies null and void and called for re-elections. A stay order on NA-154 left all eyes on NA-122 in Lahore where PML-N’s candidate National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq was pitted against PTI’s Abdul Aleem Khan. The people made what is being called a historic decision, one that was hoped, would not only help decide the victor of the constituency but that would also go a long way in maintaining the credibility and validating the trials and efforts of the victorious party. The PML-N did walk away with a victory, but what it lost was credibility in the eyes of the people –a question often asked in the aftermath was: if they cheated here, where else were we fooled?
The One Man Government: PM playing a bad hand with all cards close to his chest
In what continues to be the joke that leaves a bad taste in one’s mouth, Pakistan is a country heavily involved in the international arena – without a foreign minister. The PM instead has an advisor on Foreign Affairs. All policies on matters of international politics therefore, appear to come directly from the PM’s office itself.
The result, many have argued, has left Pakistan short in an area where it cannot afford to be so, and the results spell trouble. Our failure to maintain our relevance in the QCG, the Afghan-Iran-India agreement over Chabahar Port and the US-India nuclear deal are all leaving Pakistan increasingly isolated in a time when we need more allies than we have. And there are other factors – including our struggle against extremism, human rights’ abuse and failings in economic growth – that can be blamed for our regional and international failings. But the fact remains that many believe these recent events display our foreign policy failure – one they think could have been avoided had a minister been appointed timely. Division of labour is a concept all business majors learn as early as in A Levels (intermediate). Perhaps the PM believes in playing his cards close to his chest, but if the past few years have taught us anything it is that we could only benefit from applying a few basic business studies’ principles.
Speaking of ministers…
Also, on a marginally related note one feels that the strange method of dividing power has left the people, the policy makers and the ministers themselves a tad confused regarding their roles. Eyebrows are raised when the Punjab CM’s name is included in list of actors at play in international affairs – particularly with Turkey and KSA. And yet, there is no explanation or justification accorded to it.
Also, while the PAT leader Dr. Qadri continued to ask for justice for the victims of the Model Town Incident, Federal Minister for Railways issued a statement to the press, stating that the PAT’s demands had already been met and dismissed Dr. Qadri’s allegations by saying that “instigating statements are a part of the Qadri’s history”.
Now, why the Railway Minister felt it was his place to make such statements, let alone to speak for the State on such a sensitive matter, is a notion that continues to make absolutely no sense. And yet, it proved to not be a one off. In fact, the utter lack of ability to hold their tongues or speak only for their own offices is so common for PML-N lawmakers that no one even seems to think it at all strange. The matter of Mr. Khwaja Asif’s remarks on the floor of the house comes to mind, when he accused the PTI MPs of lacking “morality, ethics and principle” following their return to the house after the dharnas.
Such statements would have been bad enough had they come from any other politician, but for a government official to make such remarks on the floor of the National Assembly and make them in the presence of the prime minister without repercussions implies one of two things, both of which do not promise a favourable outcome for the PML (N) led regime. It implies that the PM has little to no control over his own ministers, alarming, since he is often criticised for limiting his circle of advisors and power players to a favoured few.
Leaks upon leaks, and yet the boat’s afloat
Having witnessed the PML-N’s suaveness in dealing with all its previous trials therefore, it should have come as no surprise that it would be able to weather Panama Gate. And yet, the utter lack of repercussions, the lack of progress in developing acceptable ToRs and the absolute absence of any chance of inquiry in to the matter has held the country’s attention for longer than the party may have expected. Again, the PML-N seems to be intent on under-estimating the people of Pakistan, and may still be hoping that the matter will blow over. “We are all thieves,” said a policy maker on the floor of the National Assembly, as if that would explain away any observed transgression on the part of the regime. While that echoes accusations hurled at the regime by opposition members and TV pundits, it is not how a nation’s leadership is expected to operate. Even a monarchy can be held accountable by its people, and Pakistan, despite comparisons drawn by TV personalities and opposition members alike, is no monarchy. Democratic leadership needs to take serious steps to ensure the growth of the nation, which has just seen its worse rate of economic development. The next elections may be 2 years away, but that’s not so far off. And with fingers from the media, the opposition and now even the public pointing and prodding and fearlessly uncovering flaws, cover ups, shortcomings and corruption, the roaring lions may want to take a long, hard look at their plans for the road up to the 2018 elections.