Interior Minister versus the Rangers

Can the Prime Minister thread the needle?

On Monday Nawaz Sharif appeared before an accountability court for a second time to face charges in three graft cases prepared by NAB against him and his family. The former PM could not be indicted on account of the absence of others nominated in the case. Maryam had earlier advised her father not to appear before the accountability court. Nawaz Sharif who has not only been the Prime Minister thrice but also wants to remain in politics in days to come rightly ignored the advice. The family would not be doing justice to Sharif by absenting themselves from the trial. One hopes the explanation given by their lawyer attributing their absence to Kulsoom Nawaz’s illness is correct and that they will appear before the court in coming days as she has been discharged from the hospital and is now to undergo routine cancer treatment including chemotherapy.

What happened outside the court on Monday was highly objectionable. It is maintained that chief commissioner Islamabad had already decided on the names of media persons and PML-N leaders and supporters who would be allowed to enter the court. Setting the arrangement aside, the Rangers acted in a way unheard of in a democratic country. They barred the entry of the PML-N leaders including the Interior Minister, the media persons and others in the court. During the Panama case hearings, the Supreme Court had not only allowed parties’ representatives and media persons to attend the hearings but also ignored the regular press conferences outside the court where spokespersons of the rival parties interpreted the hearings in line with their political leanings.

Rangers come under the Interior ministry. It was objectionable on their part to undertake an assignment without the permission of the Interior Ministry in violation of clear regulations and well-defined SOPs. This has understandably led to a strong reaction from the Interior Ministry. Whoever ordered the Ranges to act was being highly impolitic. At a time when civil and military leadership badly need to be on the same page, the Rangers action has further polarised the two.