Opposition in agitation mode

Long hot summer for Khan

The Pakistani rupee earning the dubious distinction of being the worst performing currency of Asia and all economic indicators heading south, the opposition is girding its loins to go into the agitation mode post Ramzan. The PPP chairperson Bilawal Bhutto’s iftar party today in Islamabad is a precursor to a serious opposition alliance against the government.

The event will also mark the beginning of a formal political role for Sharif’s anointed political heir Maryam Nawaz. She was recently nominated as the party’s vice president- a move challenged by PTI stalwarts in the ECP (Election Commission of Pakistan).

Her father is ensconced in Kot Lakhpat Jail in Lahore and his brother the PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif prefers London to the scorching heat of Lahore (no pun intended). Now it is Maryam’s chance to play a key political role in unison with Bilawal Bhutto.

This is dynastic politics at its best or worst. Both the PPP and the PML-N has no dearth of senior leaders but the Sharifs and Bhuttos will always call the shots.

It seems that Sharif after not being given further bail has decided to break his ominous silence and has finally instructed his hardliner daughter to go with her natural instinct of playing on the front foot

The curious case of Shehbaz Sharif is a bit of an enigma. He is ostensibly the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly. But at this crucial juncture he has been absent for over a month now.

Leaked footages on social media show him quite aimlessly scaling the busy streets of Central London. Initially he had left Pakistan to see his newborn ailing granddaughter. Later we were told that Sharif had to undergo some essential medical tests.

Being a cancer survivor, this is quite understandable. But does this warrant such a prolonged stay in London at this crucial juncture?

Younger Sharif’s sudden resignation from the chairmanship of the Public Accounts Committee of the National Assembly- the post he much coveted an only a few months ago– raised quite a few eyebrows. The decision was put on hold when the PPP that had gone out on a limb for Shehbaz objected. However, it indicated that all is not well in the Sharifs camp.

In this context a recent informal interview of columnist Javed Chaudhry with NAB (National Accountability Bureau) chairman Justice (Retd) Javed Iqbal in a national Urdu daily is quite revealing. It quotes the NAB chief claiming that Shehbaz Sharif through an unnamed intermediary had offered a deal.

According to the details shared with the columnist Sharifs were willing to chip in a substantial amount of cash to be deposited by a ‘foreign country’ in return for a pardon. However the deal fell through, as some of the conditionalities attached were not acceptable to the brothers or to the NAB chairman.

Interestingly the NAB chairman has been quoted as saying that Shehbaz Sharif wanted his son Hamza Shehbaz be made chief minister of Punjab. This sounds quite ludicrous, as NAB chairman does not have the authority to hand over power to the Sharifs scion or to anybody else for that matter.

Surprisingly the PML-N has not commented on this highly controversial statement given by the NAB chairman. It is the PPP that has reacted adversely to derogatory remarks made by justice (Rtd) Iqbal about Asif Ali Zardari.

The NAB chairman claims in the same interview that there is an open and shut case against the PPP co-chairperson who will be arrested as soon as his bail is cancelled. He also reveals that in one of the hearings Zardari was so nervous that he was unable to hold a cup of green tea and had to use both his hands.

Qamar Zaman Kaira who was holding a press conference just when his young son died in a car accident at his hometown Lalamusa quite strongly objected to the depreciative remarks. The worthy retired judge should clarify his statement as it seriously impinges on his impartiality that is already in doubt owing to multifarious shenanigans of NAB.

The PML-N supremo in his meeting with party stalwarts last Thursday at Kot Lakhpat Jail was surprisingly quite vocal in criticising the government. According to one who was present he was well briefed about the dire straits of the economy.

He also reiterated his earlier assessment that the PTI government will collapse under the weight of its own incompetence and malfeasance. Unsurprisingly he also cautioned the ubiquitous establishment not to interfere in matters political.

The PML-N will decide its future course of action in its meeting tomorrow in which Maryam will also be present. It seems that Sharif after not being given further bail has decided to break his ominous silence and has finally instructed his hardliner daughter to go with her natural instinct of playing on the front foot.

In the meanwhile, the noose around Shehbaz Sharif and his scion is also being tightened. NAB seems to be all set to put the father and son duo behind bars.

Shehbaz’s good cop strategy has failed to cut any ice with the war gamers. He is realistic enough to know that the party coalesces around his elder brother and not him. Hence it was too much to expect from him that he could afford to defy his brother and still hold the reins of a unified PML-N.

In this context the opposition with its back to the wall is all set to launch a unified putsch against the government. The enigmatic Maulana Fazal-ur-Rehman has nothing to lose and is playing the role of a fixer between the PPP and the PML-N.

Zardari has openly expressed his intention to take to the streets post Eid. However, in order to launch any kind of agitation the PPP will need the support of the PML-N in Punjab where it is now badly decimated.

Nonetheless the Maulana with his formidable support base in KP (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) in tandem with the PPP and PML-N is quite capable for putting up an impressive show by announcing a long march on Islamabad.

The common man’s income rapidly shrinking, record unemployment, prices of essential items sky-high, business activity at virtual standstill and much more to come in order to meet tough IMF conditionalities; it is a recipe for disaster not only for the government but the country as well.

This is not the time to fish in troubled waters. But with all systems going against the opposition it is being left with very few options. The PTI leadership instead of reading the writing on the wall thinks that with the establishment firmly behind it, it can sail through despite the opposition’s recalcitrance.

There is still time to bring the opposition on board on basic issues confronting the country. But for that the government will have to take the initiative.

In the end analysis it is the parliament that can save a political government. Not any exogenous force no matter visibly how powerful.