- Words and actions
Surely now that PTI has been in power for a while and its accountability drive has taken off – based on a mountain of evidence no doubt as the prime minister himself claims – surely it is better to let legal proceedings take their course than continue with the pre-election verbal battles with other parties. It’s one thing for senior PTI ministers to behave like they are still in the opposition, but it’s quite another for Prime Minister Imran Khan to continue using language like “gang of thieves,” etc. And if evidence of corruption against his political rivals is really that convincing, why not get on with it instead of accusing opposition leaders of conduction media trials of NAB and what not in parliament?
The prime minister’s obsession with putting opposition leaders behind bars gives the impression that he might want just the government to grace the House eventually – something on the Bangladesh model. Yet his promises on the campaign trail, as indeed during his 22 years of struggle, spoke more of non-interference in accountability. Also, PTI gave the impression that it would set governance standards so high that the opposition would automatically fade into oblivion, not an environment of political intimidation.
The prime minister must take care that in his quest for scalps he doesn’t take his eye off the ball. Nothing will come of the accountability process, among other things, if the country defaults. Priority must therefore go to the economy, where the government’s actions have left a little something to be desired. There still no final decision on the bailout, for example, despite the hemorrhage in the capital market. PTI impressed many with its promises of fairness and accountability, but nobody will be impressed for long if actions just do not back tough talk. PTI must accord the opposition due space in and outside parliament. And it must, finally, move from rhetoric to action before any more time is lost.