The Supreme Court has finally delivered their verdict on the Panama papers case between Nawaz Sharif and Imran Khan. It would be an understatement to say that the case had captured the attention of the entire nation which sat rapt in attention as the esteemed judges delivered their judgement.
The reaction was fitting The Panama struggle has been a painful pregnancy that has lasted close to 18 months and has brought down with it a political career that has been through the past 35 years of turbulent Pakistani politics. After all the dharnas and coups, Nawaz Sharif has finally come down with a resounding crash. And in all honesty, any other ending would be anti climatic. Sure, tv analysts have been very proud of themselves in saying that it isn’t over and being far sighted in their own eyes. But it’s over. Sure, a lot more is going to happen, but this is it. Go Nawaz Go has now so eloquently been turned into Gone Nawaz Gone.
The highest calibre (or should I say calibri?) of proof that it really is over in all senses of the word is the emergence of one General (R) Pervez Musharraf from what, when last checked, were serious cardiac issues which had forced the former commando to leave the country despite his self proclaimed desire to clear his name and once again become the nation’s president through his young political party.
In the aftermath of the Panama verdict however, Musharraf seems to be ignoring the advice of his doctors as he proclaimed in a tv channel just after the verdict that he had partaken in eating mithai after the former PM’ resignation in celebration. The smirk would not go off the former president’sface. It is natural considering the history between Nawaz and Musharraf ( read aggressively smug ) that the man who had attempted to take him to court for the murder of NawabBugti and for treason has now been disqualified by the supreme court for not being “Sadiq and Ameen”.
And while Musharraf stated a lot of things in his short interview, declaring the decision to be one in the best interest of Pakistan, the biggest take away form his talk has been his claim that he will now return to Pakistan. His satisfaction with the current political situation stems from the fact that his earlier reservations against being tried had been centered around the supposed influence of the former PM had on his legal proceedings. With no such qualms anymore, General Musharraf seems set ona second return. Whether his health, or circumstances, will allow this to happen is yet to be seen.
In his interview, he expressed his desire to fix a country “divided on ethnic grounds.”What he’s forgetting in the heady rush of secondary revenge however, is that he is still to fight his own legal battles which will have more serious consequences than MianNawaz’s if he is found guilty. And an empowered judiciary is the last thing that should bode well for him.
