Nawaz’s premiership seems doomed
Whether he, his family or his party accepts it or not, the spectre of the Panama Papers haunts Nawaz Shareef. There are some jarring realities, which cannot be changed. His barmy and twaddle men may speak the vulgarities and have gauche behaviour, boastful, politically amoral, vengeful, unforgiving and, most important, try to justify illegitimate transactions and property, it can’t satisfy the public. PML-N personnel think that their ship will take some time to sink; it has already started sinking.
Nawaz ascended to the Chief-Minister ship upon the special support of General Ghulam Gillani, the then-governor Punjab and very close ally to General Zia ul Haq. Through the administration’s team work of General, Nawaz Shareef won the election in a landslide over Benazir Bhutto, in Punjab in 1985. Nevertheless, an air of illegitimacy clung to him like an odour. It thickened as his opposition to Benazir became more and more furious and it peaked, in my estimation, with a hoax in 1989-90, which caused the loss of her premiership. His childish, arrogant and vindictive behaviour forced Ghulam Ishaq Khan, the then President, to dismiss his government just after two and a half years time. Nawaz’s vindictive ways also forced GIK to resign. Then the musical chair between him and Benazir started which ultimately got stopped by Gen Parvez Musharaf in 1999.
Jump now a quarter of a century to the recent stories relating to Nawaz and alleged money laundering, commissions and misdoings at a time not all that distant. The story of Panama Papers has given birth to more stories of benami accounts, unverified transactions, currency involvement, steel mills story and London property which can be explained only by Nawaz Shareef. Behaviour of his staff not the cabinet persona is so self-indulgent, so juvenile, that almost any one seems below teens and member of some school’s student union. (It is important to explain, calling his staff means that cabinet members are not supposed to make any statement on his behalf or for his children, they are sworn in as the ministers of government of Pakistan and not as personal employees of NS) Nawaz Shareef called the report fake news and, as always, blamed the messenger (the media, the intelligence community, and especially Imran Khan), but he ought to have looked in the mirror.
Nawaz is an obscure 1980s figure; Imran Khan is not. Imran Khan holds a worldwide personality since long being a cricket celebrity, but he caught the public attention when he established a Cancer care hospital of international standard in Lahore, which actually was the duty of the government. Imran Khan’s conduct and honesty cannot be challenged. Khan appeared in the political picture when he challenged the misdoings and corruption of both the parties, PPP and PML-N, but he is not aware of the dirty tricks of Pakistani politics. Khan said the other day that Nawaz’s Premiership is illegitimate and he would not compromise less than his resignation from the post as he has lost his credibility after Panama Paper Leaks and his involvement in money laundering, keeping illegal assets, tax embezzlement and misappropriation of public’s money. Nawaz and his team, of course spoke disparagement – as he did, when he belittled Benazir Bhutto during his past regimes.
Asif Ali Zardari would no doubt warn Nawaz that he is already on thin ice and he will plunge through the moment the public, who is frustrated with him as well as the behaviour of government institutions specially the Supreme Court, takes the measure of his premiership. Nawaz Shareef, seems trying to follow his God Father, the late Zia ul Haq, he must note that Zia ul Haq was a man of huge political abilities and experience, and his achievements in militarily actions, foreign relations arrangements entitled him to a wonderful statesman despite many other misdoings. Yet, when relations with Muhammad Khan Jonejo went sour, his personal characteristics, scathingly oozed out of him. So was the case with Parvez Musharaf with his actions against the Chief Justice Supreme Court Mr Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudry, assassination of Akbar Bugti and action against Lal Mosque (though Lal Mosque action was rightly taken – rather would have been taken a lot time ago). This is where Nawaz Shareef stands now.
While comparing, circumstances have made Benazir (Late) one of the last of the great leaders or politicians: she marched, she protested and she challenged the marshal-law of Zia ul Haq and Parvez Musharaf. She had been imprisoned, beaten and also faced the sad demise of her brothers. Her struggle covers decades from 1977 to her death in 2007. Nawaz has never gone through these tough hours except in 1999 when his government was toppled because of his own childish and irresponsible attitude. That too, he got escaped through the Saudi rulers who came to his rescue. To his fortune, Parvez Musharaf was not as hard headed as Zia was.
Present circumstances have made Imran Khan, a great leader. His character and vision openly claims of honesty, hard work and national interest. Though people like Danial Aziz, Talal Chaudry, Saad Rafique, Khawaja Asif and Maryam Aurangzeb have the task to growl stories against him but the public just laughs it off.
Yes, Nawaz won the elections, and alas, that is all that matters. But on the larger point, Nawaz, all the three times conducted a dirty, dishonest and corrupt polluted government that sullied the premiership he won.
Now Nawaz ought to pay attention to Imran Khan and his demands. The Prime Minister has taken oath to serve the country and look after its public honestly. He enters the PM house with historically great poll numbers in 1990 and 1997. BUT, during all these years, he has done nothing to develop, instead, adhered to his schoolyard habit of fighting and revenging his every grievance, denigrating his every critic. Abusing his position, he has always misused the public money. He has been unable to give anything positive to the nation like, education and health care for all, industrial and agricultural development, creation of jobs and above all a corruption free society. He, his ministers and his chief ministers, all are busy to work to remain in power and plan for day to day activities. No long term development policy is ever drafted and acted upon.
Now, Whatsoever is the verdict declared by the Supreme Court of Pakistan and whatsoever are the circumstances, ghost of Panama Papers will remain following Nawaz Shareef and family for life time as a nightmare and keep haunting. Shareef family and their followers know that they (Shareef family) are guilty, their stand is incorrect and immoral, yet they are trying to deceive the nation.
Above all, how will Nawaz Shareef face the nation, as well as the world with a culpable conscious?
while one admires the Author.s input he has some shortcomings. Any body who thinks the late President Zia was a statesman needs his head examined. He was a man who hung a democratically elected PM. Nawab Bughti was not assassinated but killed resisting the Pakistani Army! It is a great tribute to the intelligence of the pakistani electrorate that every time there is an election out pops Nawaz Shariff. He knows the art of buying People. The end justifies the means .
Yes, Zia was a statesman, his name was a horror for Indians and Washington, and that was his success towards his personality. BUT, unfortunately he could not en-cashed it, which he should have. For Bhutto, he acted more dictatorial that the other rulers, so let's not discuss him because otherwise, for west he was a great statesman because he could speak their language, which was used to oust Ayub Khan, to stop Pakistan from further development. In which the west succeeded via Bhutto. Assassination of Bugti is a national loss, he should have been negotiated and settled. It's Parvez or Zia or Shareef or Nenazir or Zardari, all tried to please the masters, we don't have, unfortunately, any M A Jinnah, Ayub Khan or Amir Muhammad Khan. Perhaps one day we get one.
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