Baby and bathwater
PML-N’s outright rejection of Nawaz Sharif’s disqualification – and subsequent open attacks on “the five judges” – meant an assault on Articles 62 and 63, too, was more or less a certainty. But with PTI already calling the exercise a disgrace, PPP refusing to play along at all, and Jamaat e Islami and the like also disagreeing, parliamentary paralysis over the proposed amendment is likely to dominate news waves for the immediate future. PPP has a point. Once more parliament must mobilise – hardly its standout feature – and fiddle with the constitution to save one man’s skin.
This particular point is driven further in because of how PML-N fought in favour of 62 and 63 when amendments were proposed in the previous government. Now, in its so called fight to save democracy, it is completely reversing its position to get all parties to favour Nawaz Sharif. And the brawling over the Panama fallout, which has already intensified into an early election campaign, will have one more platform to play out. Yet this is just the time – when a controversial article has come up for amendment – for all parties in the House to avoid politics of confrontation and display political maturity.
Rather than some support the ruling party, others vow to fight off the amendment, while others still want it extended to other high offices, it makes far more sense for parties to unite and restore the Articles in their original form, as in the 1973 constitution. All functioning democracies require their leaders to be honest and trustworthy even without invoking sadiq and ameen conditions. Besides, continued complications arising from some of Zia’s fingerprints on the constitution make the opportunity cost of maintaining some of the clauses too high. Returning to the ’73 version of Article 62 and 63 would also deprive any would be adventurer institution from sabotaging democracy, etc. It would also suit the government’s position and soften the burden on Nawaz Sharif. Once again, the Assembly must display wisdom and responsibility when deciding upon this matter. Hopefully in the fuss over the article, they won’t throw out the baby with the bath water.