The lack of a consistent strategy seems to have become the strategy of the joint opposition on the issue of the Panama Papers and other revelations of the same sort and equal importance. On Monday, after much fanfare, the opposition had Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif where they wanted. The PM was to speak before parliament and Opposition Leader Khursheed Shah and PTI Chairman Imran Khan were scheduled to respond. Despite a speech that was low on detail and high on rhetoric, PM Nawaz Sharif did end his speech conceding the task of formulating the ToRs and new legislation for a judicial commission to a joint committee of the government and opposition. Nawaz noted in his speech that the government had accepted at least three opposition proposals before, only for the opposition to backtrack. And once again, the opposition responded by orchestrating a needless walkout from the assembly. With Imran Khan in the background after the revelations about his own offshore account, Shah took the position that the PM had not answered the opposition’s questions and so a walkout was in order. But it is not certain if even members of the opposition themselves were clear why they had to walk out, instead of using the floor of the assembly to question the PM. Once outside parliament, they hurled accusations and objections against him – when he was sitting in parliament and had given no indication that he would not entertain any questions. If the opposition seriously expected the PM to do their bidding for them by making the whole affair about him, their intelligence must seriously be questioned.
No one is denying that the Sharif family must be prominent amongst those investigated in the judicial commission, but not at the cost of an amnesty for all the others named in connection with the offshore leaks. It is becoming obvious that the politics of making the entire issue about one person is not going to work – with those who have been the loudest in asking for the PM’s resignation now having to answer questions about their own offshore accounts. The government strategy seems to have been to present a sufficiently general statement which also points to the way forward. In appearing to do so it has succeeded on the day which was to be the opposition’s golden day. The opposition somehow managed to make this into an opportunity to discredit themselves. Khursheed Shah should have provided a complete response to the PM’s speech. Imran Khan too had pledged to present proof to the House to clear himself of any taint of wrongdoing. The opposition leadership claims that walking away was a strategy, but it gave the appearance of a childish act whose consequences were not considered. This was proven on Tuesday, when the opposition decided to return to parliament after consultations – to raise questions over the PM’s address. This time, we are told, there are going to be seventy questions instead of seven. This is beginning to look ridiculous. What cannot be thrown into the background now is the question of taking the matter to the commission with revised ToRs and under new legislation. The opposition must play their part – as they have been insisting. It cannot be seen to run away from this. Who does what on this fundamental question will reveal the true nature of their politics and aims. This is as true of the government as it is for the opposition.