Verdict not good news for PML-N: Sethi

LAHORE
Famous analyst Najam Sethi on Saturday described the election tribunal verdict on NA-122 a negative development for the PML-N which, he said, would move the Supreme Court like in the case of Khawaja Saad Rafique.
He opined that Ayaz Sadiq would be restored but he would not work as National Assembly speaker, creating a vacuum and thus damaging the ruling party.
Expressing his views in Geo News programme ‘Aapas ki Baat’, Sethi said the PML-N’s defence argument would be based on the Judicial Commission’s findings which stated that there had been irregularities, not rigging, in the general elections. For this reason, he said, the apex court’s verdict would either be in their favour or not be against them, stating that the mistake was not of the PML-N’s candidate.
He said the ruling party should not panic as it had won all the by-polls in Punjab against the PTI and the chances were very good in NA-122 too.
According to Sethi, the PTI’s - like in the case of Saad Rafique - is the claiming a victory, but actually neither of the sides has lost or won. The tribunal judge has called for re-polling due to the uncertainty created by irregularities, not rigging.
Imran Khan has realised that elections would be held in 2018 and returned to assemblies. A PML-N victory in the upcoming LG polls in November would a great blow to the PTI.
For point-scoring, Ayaz Sadiq should not attend the assembly sessions till the court verdict is announced but, in that case, people would say that Saad Rafique must also do the same. The dignity of the House also demands that it should be handed over to the deputy speaker.
When Muneeb Farooq, the programme host, asked whether the wining candidate should be punished for the shortcomings in electoral process, Sethi said the judge had only asked for re-polling and both the candidates had not be accused of anything.
About the meeting between the national security advisers (NSAs) of Pakistan and India, he said there was no principle of preconditions before any talks anywhere in the world, adding that the two governments were a victim of public pressure created by media.
Sethi said after the Ufa announcement, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Sartaj Aziz had been accused of not talking about the Kashmir issue and that’s why the matter is being raised now. But the other side is saying that Sartaj should not meet the Kashmiri leaders and media would target them ferociously if they change the stance. Both sides are showing a childish attitude with which one cannot push the dialogue process forward.
Sartaj says they will hand over a dossier concerning Indian involvement in Pakistan to the India’s external affairs minister and the UN secretary-general in New York in September. Refusal to hold the NSA-level talks is a mistake by India.
About the Indian argument of the preamble and operative part of the Ufa statement, Sethi said both sides were right in their stance, with Pakistan saying that they would discuss all issues while India of the view that yes but not during the NSAs meeting. Pakistan was talking about composite dialogue but India negating it while imposing preconditions which was damaging to it, he added.
About the state terrorism in Occupied Kashmir, Sethi said the other side too could level the same allegation and, therefore, Pakistan should not do so as India would claim state terrorism in Balochistan. He said “terrorism is defined as non-state actors attacking the state” and the real problem was that the non-state actors on both sides carried out terrorism.
According to Sethi, Kashmiris too are Indians, if Kashmir is a part of India. In this case, they can’t be described as third party. So, if India accepts the Kashmiris as third party then it means it is a dispute and thus Kashmir not a part of India.
He said the prime minister, during his visit to Karachi, congratulated everyone including Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah who previously had problems with the Rangers. Not only the chief minister - the Apex Committee head - but also the Rangers and the prime minister were view that there was no need of a monitoring committee, he added.
According to Sethi, it was the PPP which in the past had objections over the Karachi operation but isn’t the case now; however, the MQM still has reservations for the reason that it is a political party and cannot remain silent. It would make a hue and cry when its members are arrested.
On the other hand, the prime minister does not want to take any step, giving an impression to the army that the PM is not fully on board and giving space to the MQM.