Till better times
It is pretty clear that no matter how hard things get the prime minister will not willingly appoint a deputy to oversee important matters of state while he recovers. PML-N loyalists will say it is because of his extraordinary sense of duty and the opposition will insist this is just a reflection of his insecurity; which is also what keeps him from appointing a full time foreign minister. Whatever the case, Sharif’s illness has left the country pretty much on auto pilot. And since he suddenly took off just when the Panama issue was brewing, and everything was falling apart in foreign policy, all important matters still await the PM’s attention.
Now that he’s been overtaken by post-op infection and fever it will obviously be a few more days before he can devote himself to the state again. That, naturally, has made the opposition much upset. It’s already been almost two months that the TOR matter is in limbo, and there’s only so long they will get all dressed up with nowhere to go. PML-N’s tactic, since the beginning, of delaying matters is proving counterproductive in this instance. The party should, instead, get the matter over with as soon as possible. Shedding this uncertainty is important lest it casts a long shadow on campaigning for the next election.
And, again, since the PM won’t do it himself, perhaps the party should intervene; and convince him of the need of sharing some of his burden till he is better and stronger. As the ultimate symbol of Pakistani democracy, the prime minister should welcome a shared decision from within his party. The government needs to move urgently not only on internal matters like TORs, but also the increasing isolation internationally. With no foreign minister, and no prime minister, for the moment it is difficult to understand how the ruling party expects to run things smoothly. Nawaz’s personal health is now affecting the country. He should consider taking it easy till things are better.