Nawaz must revise strategy

Collision with institutions would harm democracy   

Despite being the Prime Minister of Pakistan three times Nawaz Sharif fails to realize that delivering verdicts is the prerogative of the judiciary and crowds cannot change its decisions which the former PM calls ‘people’s courts’. Imran Khan has addressed many more gatherings which attracted larger crowds and these ‘people’s courts’ continue to award even severer punishments to Sharif. There is a need therefore to put an end to the charade.

One had hoped that a meeting with Shahbaz Sharif a day earlier would have a sobering effect on the former PM. The speech at Kot Momin shows he continues to remain obdurate. In an attempt to prove his innocence, Sharif once again made fun of the judgment which disqualified him while Maryam Nawaz ascribed motives to the court suggesting that the SC bench had already made up its mind to punish Sharif  and the Iqama issue was no more than a fig leaf.

A number of ‘people’s courts’ are readying to pass judgment against Sharif. With a deadline given to Punjab Chief Minister and his Law Minister to resign ending today the followers of Tahirul Qadri, PPP and PTI have vowed to take to the streets.  The Sialvi Pir and his spiritual and religious cohorts are to come into action on January 19. In Balochistan the no-confidence move against CM Sanauallah Zehri threatens the house of cards Nawaz Sharif had built. There are also dissensions in the PML-N. Instead of dealing with the situation with wisdom and courage, a week-kneed Interior Minister has lost nerve.  He has declared that the country is passing through a state of uncertainty and Senate elections may not be held on time.  Besides demoralising the PML-N legislators the statement would also have a negative fallout on the confidence of the business community.

There is a need on the part of Nawaz Sharif to change his strategy. It is the party chief’s duty to infuse spirit into the PML-N’s rank and file and lead them to electoral victory instead of wasting his energy on fighting the military establishment one day and the judiciary the next day.