And ground realities
When load shedding was at its height during the summer of 2012, it was Shahbaz Sharif who shifted his office in a tent erected at the premises of Minar-e-Pakistan
The Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar has quoted an old doctrine (from the US) that political dirt should not be washed in the laundry of the judiciary. But unfortunately this has precisely become our political culture.
The PTI chief, in his desperation to oust his nemesis the Sharifs by hook or by crook, is the precursor of this unsavoury tendency. His strategy since he lost the 2013 general elections is three pronged: bring them down to their knees through sheer street power, oust them through the courts and lastly seek a little help from the ubiquitous establishment, if available.
However, it will be unfair to merely blame the PTI for its present modus operandi. Despite being a signatory to the practically dead Charter of Democracy (COD) — signed with much fanfare in London by Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif in 2006 — as leader of the opposition, Nawaz filed a petition on Memogate in the apex court accusing the PPP government of treason.
Hence when the shoe was on the other foot Sharif had no qualms in donning a lawyer’s attire and presenting himself in the court to personally pursue the case against Asif Zardari, accusing him of treason. Similarly, when load shedding was at its height during the summer of 2012, it was Shahbaz Sharif who shifted his office in a tent erected at the premises of Minar-e-Pakistan.
He was seen using a hand fan as a mark of protest against the PPP government’s inability to provide power knowing fully well that owing to multifarious factors there was no quick fix solution to bridge the gap between the inadequate supply and soaring demand of electricity.
Nonetheless, he promised that once the PML-N was in power load shedding would go away in six months. Perhaps he rues what he said while in the opposition. It has become a gold standard how politicians make empty promises to fetch votes.
‘Plus ca change, plus c’ est la meme chose.’ The French phrase literally means: the more it changes; the more it’s the same thing.
This might be true. But in some ways politicians still demonstrate similar proclivities. Thus some things have only changed superficially.
Unlike the past, when elected governments were sent packing by the military or by dictatorial presidents in collusion with the army leadership, there has been uninterrupted civilian rule since 2008 after Musharraf was forced out of office. But it is strange that despite parliamentary democracy in place the parliament is not fully relevant to our democracy. It is basically a systematic failure of the ruling party not giving the parliament its due importance in a democratic polity.
Important decisions are taken by the PML-N top leadership through a cabal of advisors both at the federal level and Punjab without going through the trouble of taking the parliament on board.
Nawaz Sharif hardly attends theNational Assembly and he has not been to the Senate for over a year. Federal ministers emulate their leader by also remaining mostly absent from the parliament.
Unlike the past, when elected governments were sent packing by the military or by dictatorial presidents in collusion with the army leadership, there has been uninterrupted civilian rule since 2008
So far as the PTI chief is concerned he does not even hide his disdain for the parliament. According to this perverse logic Sharif’s majority is not genuine but is a result of flawed elections. Conveniently the same criterion is not applied to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Assembly where the PTI enjoys a majority.
In this context it is no surprise that politicians buttressed by professional litigants are washing their dirty laundry in the courts. However, it is too late to lament about it.
Barring the CJP, it seems even some judges enjoy this unwanted focus on the courts. The apex court took notice of the Panamagate allegations against the prime minister and his immediate family after Imran Khan had threatened to shut down Islamabad. In a tit for tat move the PML-N petitioned the Supreme Court against the PTI chief and his general secretary, Jahangir Tareen, for allegedly failing to declare their personal assets and sources of the party’s foreign funding.
The prime minister surely seems beleaguered from all sides. Ostensibly the noose around him is slowly but surely being tightened.
As if Panamagate was not enough, mishandling of the Dawn leaks findings has become another source of worry for Sharif. Coupled with this, the PTI has launched a program of rallies during the current month to drive home its advantage.
The PPP, not to be left behind, has also ramped up its putsch against the PML-N. The other day taking a leaf out of Shahbaz Sharif’s book they observed a sit in at Nasir Bagh Lahore against perennial power shortages.
The show was understandably short on demonstrating numbers but long on fiery speeches and rhetoric. Both the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah and leader of the opposition in the Senate Aitzaz Ahsan tried to compensate with extremely critical rhetoric. Zardari and his prodigal Bilawal were however conspicuous by their absence.
In the face of a cacophony of chants of ‘Go Nawaz Go’ and demands for his resignation the prime minister is keeping his cool and his mantra remains that those agitating for his removal are somehow against economic progress and development.
Sharif is perhaps heartened by supportive tweets of his daughter Maryam Safdar. But they are doing more harm than good. According to her recent tweet: ‘Panama is crap, trashed in the rest of the world. Those relaying to bring down NS will bite the dust Inshallah.’
Whether or not it is a conspiracy the Sharif family is required to explain the source of funding for their properties in London to the apex court. It should be preparing to credibly answer the queries of the JIT (joint investigation team) that would satisfy the Special Bench formed for this purpose rather than floating empty conspiracy theories.
Another tweet has brought in the open frayed relations between the civilian and military leadership. According to tweet by DG Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Asif Ghafoor, ‘The notification on Dawn leaks was incomplete and not in line with the recommendations of the inquiry board. (Hence) the notification is rejected.’
Use of this unusually harsh language by ISPR in a tweet could not be without clearance of the COAS. But in spite of a lapse of almost a week the government is yet to release the operative part of the Dawn leaks findings.
Instead a veiled threat has been made that the government could also release the Abbottabad Commission report pertaining to Osama bin Laden’s presence in Abbottabad for years and the US Navy Seals successful attack on 2 May 2011 to take him out.
Obviously the release of the Commission report could be a major source of embarrassment for Pakistan. Sharif should instead come out clean on Dawn leaks to mend fences with the military leadership.
On the political front he should be doing the same. Perhaps it is too late to engage the PTI, not to be satisfied with anything less than the prime minister’s scalp.
But an attempt to reopen channels of communications with the PPP could still be explored. As a last resort the ruling party should actively explore the possibility of somewhat early elections.