Cursing the courts vs cursing the parliament

• Accusations, not manifestos, dominate election rallies

Sure, PML-N raised a much larger crowd in Haripur than the combined opposition in Lahore a few days ago, but Nawaz treated the many thousands that came to hear him more with accusations and curses than the party’s manifesto. PTI too, despite its momentum going into the campaign, largely colours its rallies with venom for the sitting government – and now the House in particular – not a breakdown of its program for running the government. From the voters’ point of view, at least for the foreseeable future, it seems a choice between ones cursing the courts and others cursing parliament.

Sooner or later, the debate will, inevitably, shift to the parties’ respective manifestos. In this regard PTI has far more ground to cover. PML-N’s core polices, because of its many times in power, are known to all. But there’s still only vague information about PTI’s likely foreign and domestic policies. It’s not clear, for example, what foreign policy direction PTI really advocates; except that Imran Khan feels we can do without some of US aid. And the party’s position on security, reforms, etc, is also dodgy; save its once soft corner for TTP and alliances with the religious far right.

Nawaz, too, should turn his speeches towards a quantifiable analysis of the party’s election plan. He has spoken, so openly, against the “five judges” far too often now not to expect reaction. And the media is already buzzing about chances of the courts slapping a contempt charge on him. That would make the road to the election even more complicated and chaotic. The people, whom our so called defenders of democracy claim to represent, deserve a more sincere argument for their votes than conspiracies and accusations that concerns individuals, not the larger public.