The Sharifs should count their blessings
Perhaps the apex court had determined that Sharif and his progenies were guilty of charges pertaining to their enormous unexplained assets. Not being a trial court they, nonetheless, found a way out to disqualify him
The PML-N sans N sounds quite surreal. Nawaz Sharif as prime minister has been ousted not by the voters who elected him but by the judiciary ostensibly for corruption. But in reality for the time being for not declaring his receivable salary from a Dubai based company of which according to him he was a titular chairman.
There is an ongoing debate amongst the legal community whether receivable salary can be considered as income. Most jurists contend that the five-member bench is on a slippery wicket on this count.
Perhaps the apex court had determined that Sharif and his progenies were guilty of charges pertaining to their enormous unexplained assets. Not being a trial court they, nonetheless, found a way out to disqualify him. Whether such a flawed premise will withstand the scrutiny of time and legal annals is another matter.
Notwithstanding the legal wrangling, the fact is that Sharif is no longer prime minister. A new prime minister and a new cabinet have been sworn in after a brief interlude of uncertainty. However barring a few, the cabinet is old wine in a new bottle.
The manner in which Sharif has been shown the door left a bad taste in the mouth of his supporters. Nevertheless, it is neither such a disaster nor the end of the world for the Sharifs.
They should count their blessings. In a clean break from the past modus operandi of sacking elected prime ministers, the PML-N government at the federal level and in Punjab is fully intact. The former prime minister, despite being disqualified, is calling the shots in full glare of the ubiquitous media.
With Nawaz in Murree his successor had to frequently travel to the hill resort to discuss the future roadmap including the formation of the federal cabinet with the Sharif brothers.
Already, Sheikh Rashid and company has started branding Abbasi as a puppet. Perhaps the Sharifs should empower their nominee by giving him some space in days to come.
Understandably it is a new political experience for them to delegate power to a non-Sharif. But in the past even a dictator like General Zia ul Haq empowered his nominee Mohammad Khan Junejo.
Notwithstanding that he gave the party-less prime minister enough rope to ultimately hang himself with.He was unceremoniously sacked while Nawaz Sharif, his chief minister in Punjab, preferred to stay put, abandoning him and instead siding with Zia. Sharif knew very well which side of his toast was buttered.
Similarly in a civilian set up as president Asif Ali Zardari allowed enough space to Yousaf Raza Gilani his nominated prime minister. Zardari would get his way wherever he wanted, but for the sake of optics their meetings were not in the glare of the media.
Abbasi as prime minister, by adding power to his previous portfolio of oil and gas, is virtually the energy czar now. This will perfectly suit Shahbaz Sharif with whom Khawaja Asif was not happy encroaching on what he considered his own turf.
A major addition in the cabinet is that of Khawaja Asif as foreign minister. Interestingly, contrary to popular perception that the military leadership is quite happy running foreign and security policy, time and again it had implored Sharif to appoint a full time foreign minister, rather than assiduously retaining the portfolio.
Of course the enigmatic Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan is a glaring omission from the cabinet. His perennial narcissism rather than good politics has landed him into a political cul de sac.
As for the military leadership mid-wifing a soft judicial coup, it meticulously kept itself out of the fray. The fracas over tweets relating to Dawn leaks was a setback to the otherwise smooth civ-mil relations at the time
He was not willing to work under anyone he considered junior or inferior to him. As it is, he had a difficult working relationship with the former prime minister despite a long political association.
It was Shahbaz Sharif, his only friend, who will really miss him. Politically Nisar was the main troubleshooter for the Punjab chief minister at the federal level. Especially after Shahbaz was virtually sidelined from Durbar e Sharif in Islamabad.
It seems post Sharif’s ouster the PML-N is in two minds. There are those who are advising the former prime minister to go in a confrontationist mode. Then there are those who counsel restraint.
It seems for the time being the doves led by Shahbaz Sharif have prevailed. Sharif, instead of leading rallies from Islamabad to Lahore, has chosen to take the motorway on Sunday.
Perhaps this is the right strategy under the circumstances. After all the PML-N is in power. Why should it behave like an opposition party? It should have its sights on the Senate elections due March next year and later after a few months the general elections.
There is a strong perception in the rank and file of the PML-N that the prime minister has been ousted as a result of a conspiracy. The Supreme Court trial, according to them, was more of an inquisition backed by the omnipresent establishment.
Human rights activist and jurist Asma Jahangir is known for not mincing her words. She has objected to inclusion of MI (military intelligence) and ISI (inter services intelligence) officials in the JIT.
Asma has asked a pertinent question: would the judiciary allow representation of such officials in the Supreme Judicial Council? She has also correctly pointed out that why are only the hapless politicians singled out for sham accountability?
Chairman Senate Raza Rabbani the other day, in a more diplomatic manner, expressed similar sentiments. He reckons the higher judiciary has become too powerful at the expense of the parliament and the executive.
These are somewhat valid observations. But politicians as a lot are themselves primarily responsible for emasculating the two pillars of democracy.
Nawaz Sharif preferred to rule through his so-called kitchen cabinet headed by a super bureaucrat. Similarly, his regal style militated against even visiting the parliament.
The parliament failed to evolve a credible system of across the board accountability. Weak kneed, it sanctioned military courts through a constitutional amendment. After failing to evolve an efficient justice system two years later through another amendment, it sanctioned military courts for civilians.
As for the military leadership mid-wifing a soft judicial coup, it meticulously kept itself out of the fray. The fracas over tweets relating to Dawn leaks was a setback to the otherwise smooth civ-mil relations at the time. However the system survived the shock.
It is a supreme irony that reportedly it was some PML-N stalwarts who tried to approach the military leadership to intercede on Sharif’s behalf. However the stony response was, “we will not do anything unconstitutional”.
Perhaps the only smoking gun is that the military led (or perhaps assisted) the JIT. But Sharif initially did not object. Why complain now when it is too late?
