After having failed to dislodge the PML-N government through their sit-ins in Islamabad – thanks to the unflinching support of the democratic forces in parliament, judiciary, the establishment and the media who supported the continuation of the democratic dispensation – Imran and Qadri seem poised to have another go at fulfilling their unfinished agenda.
Though other political parties like the PPP and ANP support moves for the accountability of the prime minister and his family with regard to the Panama leaks, they are not inclined to participate in street agitation against the government which could lead to the democratic order being derailed. That is very sensible thinking, and stems from their experience with such moves in the past.
So ostensibly, the movement will be spearheaded by the PTI and PAT with the support of Sheikh Rasheed and a few smaller religious parties who have no public standing in political terms. For that matter, even the PAT cannot boast of being a potent political force in the country that can beat other major parties at the ballot box, even though it has the capability of gathering diehard supporters from across the country to occupy streets.
It is hard to predict the outcome of the agitation that they are going to launch but according to a majority view among intelligentsia, political analysts and anodyne observers the move is certainly not a genuine or honest attempt to reform the archaic colonial system of governance that has inbuilt avenues of corruption and promotes a culture of graft and entitlement. Our rulers have extensively benefitted from the system and also changed the economic fortunes of their near and dear ones, their cronies and supporters at the cost of the teeming millions.
As far as the Panama leaks are concerned, yes there is a need for a thorough probe against all those who have been named in the report instead of a witch-hunt that the opposition parties are trying to orchestrate. Those who are agitating on the basis of the Panama leaks unfortunately also have a tainted past and are surely not standing on a higher moral ground to demand what they are demanding. The agitation is purely power politics designed to bring down the government. That is the sole agenda of the agitators.
As far as elimination of corruption and accountability of the corrupt elements is concerned, I would like to go even beyond the Panama leaks and demand across-the-board accountability of all those who have taken this country for a ride and indulged in reckless corruption and nepotism. That can only be done through reforms in the system with collective efforts of the political leadership and the political parties represented in parliament.
What we need immediately is consensus legislation on retrieving looted wealth followed by a well-deliberated process of systemic reforms. That is only possible when all the political parties put their faith in the institution of parliament and condescend to use that forum to change the way this country is governed. If the opposition parties, including the PTI, are sincere in eliminating the scourge of corruption from the echelons of the government and from society they must prove their credentials by adopting legitimate and legal means as per the constitution to deal with the issue, benefitting from the collective wisdom of all the stakeholders in strengthening democracy.
Imran Khan is, therefore, well advised to abandon his stubbornness and show respect to the mandate given to his party by the electorate, by participating in the proceedings of parliament and using his strength to strike at the root of the systemic loopholes that promote corruption. This he should do instead of indulging in politics of self-aggrandisement which has not yielded any positive results for him and his party.
His brand of politics has actually sent his graph of popularity nose-dive which is quite evident from the successive electoral defeats in the by elections including the recent one in Jhelum and Vehari, the local bodies elections and the AJK polls. The PML-N, notwithstanding persistent allegations of corruption hurled by Imran Khan, remains the most popular party in the country, a reality that cannot be denied.
The people and judiciary have not bought his rigging mantra. The people are also not interested in the hackneyed slogan of elimination of corruption. It would perhaps be pertinent to mention that as far as the PML-N government is concerned, Transparency International in its three consecutive annual reports has indicated a decline in the corruption index. For this the government deserves to be appreciated. Nonetheless, we do need systemic reforms and a judicious system of governance that takes care of corruption, misuse of power and is oriented to serve the masses, rather than filling the coffers of the rich and the mighty.
There is also a well-considered view that the current anti-government movement, like the previous one, is also badly ill-timed. The country is at war with terrorists and the fight against them has entered a very decisive phase. A complete victory against them warrants peace and stability and the impregnable support of all stakeholders in the future of the country, including politicians.
The developments taking place around us and at the global level – thanks to the machinations of our so-called ally the US and its pro-India posturing – have thrown up formidable challenges for Pakistan in the arena of foreign relations as well as our capacity to safeguard our security and strategic interests. The government and the security establishment need to focus on how to deal with the emerging – and existing – challenges. Creating a political turmoil at such a moment is tantamount to working against the interests of the country.
We need complete national unity to thwart the conspiracies of our enemies and global powers which, in pursuance of their global and strategic interests in the region, are hell bent on undermining our strategic interests and even undermining and sabotaging the CPEC, which has brought in a ray of hope for the economic profile of Pakistan.
Our politicians, therefore, need to have a sense of proportion and change how they conduct politics. There is absolutely no doubt about the fact that most of the dangers confronting us are self-inflicted and only we can reverse the process through unity and saner politics which is geared to serve only the national interest.
The writer is a freelance contributor.
Email: ashpak10gmail.com