Positive U-turn?

For once one of Imran Khan’s U-turns has resonated so well with the opposition that Shahbaz Sharif, at least, is suddenly all praise about the government’s seriousness about getting some serious legislation going – for the benefit of the people, of course. A little earlier, Shah Mehmood too held the ‘interest of democracy’ and all that responsible for the compromise on the part of the prime minister. And the most the opposition made fun of Imran Khan going back on his word, yet again, came in former National Assembly speaker Ayaz Sadiq’s words, that if the government takes more such U-turns democracy will be strengthened.

Most likely the prime minister finally gave into the reality that, with their hands tied on the economic front, the only option they had of honouring campaign manifesto, for the time being, was through people friendly legislation. And you can’t get anywhere in the business of lawmaking, with such a thin majority, when the opposition is not on board. Now that the logjam has been broken, hopefully the business of appointing committees to facilitate the work of the House will be undertaken promptly. The government’s anti-corruption drive is always welcome, but when it paralyses parliament and leaves the common man with unfulfilled promises, a revision is definitely in order.

By letting Shahbaz Sharif take the Public Accounts Chairman (PAC) chairmanship the government has also, in a way, put the spotlight on the opposition. Now the government is expected to table a vast array of bills for legislation, and if the opposition plays the sort of politics that frustrates the government it will not be lost on everybody watching. Sharif has promised no hindrances in lawmaking that is clearly in the interest of the people. It will be instructive, therefore, how professionally the government and opposition deal with legislation especially when the corruption “witch hunt” is only expected to pick up pace in the weeks and months ahead.