Worthy of serious consideration

The prime minister may take the political initiative pro-actively to stem his fast eroding moral authority to the needle point. The advice is rendered even it may be deemed as an unsolicited one but it is worth considering in the wake of looming political heat wave. His recalcitrance and procrastination may cost him the loss of dignity eventually. “Beware the ides of March” Shakespeare. He can prove his mettle as being on a higher moral ground only by gracefully stepping aside and let the law take its own course. The political storm that is gathering needs to be weathered pre-emptively. He should prove himself to be a leader of substance, foresight and courage by upholding the law, allowing history to remember him as a man of value. His digging in heels may remember him only as an obstructionist in the course of dispensation of justice. These are defining moments for him. He may repeat the history or re-write the history on the basis of his vast experience of the government and politics of the country. The prime minister may be pleased to remember that those who refuse to learn from history hardly survive.

All the parties have been celebrating the verdict of the Supreme Court in Panama Papers case considering vindication of their position. In fact, there is something for everyone in the verdict. The three judges withheld their verdict that now hinged on the report of the Joint investigation Team (JIT) required to be submitted to the apex court within sixty days. The two judges in their verdict have adjudicated the disqualification of the prime minister on the basis of him not being Sadiq and Amin. The ruling party is claiming its victory because majority of the judges have not agreed to the two judges, may be for the time being, and their decision on the subject depended on the JIT report.

The misplaced enthusiasm of the PML-N may evaporate soon in the face of the unanimous demand of the almost entire formidable opposition urging the prime minister to step down in the interest of the impartial investigation those cannot be carried out if the prime minister is in the saddle. The members of JIT cannot afford to go against the wishes of their boss’ notwithstanding the JIT will be working directly under the supervision of the Supreme Court. This status of the members of the JIT is bound to cast shadow on their findings at the expense of the impartial investigations. The PML-N top leadership should consider this demand of the opposition as a way out of the labyrinth because it will not affect the continuity of the PML-N government in the face of its comfortable majority in the Parliament. The prime minister will be on the high moral ground and his coming out of the crisis unscathed will earn him enviable political windfall to his exaltation.

The PPP have rejected the Supreme Court judgment altogether because of it being short of finality that favours the prime minister. It has strongly urged the prime minister to resign because the two honourable judges of the Supreme Court have adjudicated his disqualification because of his failure to present irrefutable evidence as how he had amassed so much wealth and therefore was not Sadiq and Amin. It may be mentioned that the other three judges of the Supreme Court did not accept or reject the evidences and instead had directed to constitute JIT consisting members of NAB, FIA, SBP, SECP, ISI and MI to investigate the accusations of money trail to buy expansive properties in London through the offshore companies. It means, the future of the prime minister is in the doldrums and the sword is hanging unabatedly on his head. He is in hot waters indeed and PML-N jubilation may fade away sooner than later.

The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and Jamaat-i-Islami including PML-Q are also in agreement with the PPP in demanding the resignation of the prime minister because he has lost the moral authority to hold the highest public office of the country. This time the added political pressure of the PPP on the prime minister may break the back of the camel forcing the impairment. The corridors of power may give unwelcoming looks to him if he does not reach out to other political stakeholders to address their reservations. Last time, the PPP did not join PTI’s sit-in politics solely to save the political system. The PPP succeeded as the naysayers had to eat the humble pie at the end of the day. They had to backtrack after their masquerading spread over months and the political system remained on the even kneel.

Now, the PPP’s considered opinion is that the prime minister has become liability for democracy and therefore it has taken the position to demand resignation of the prime minister. Syed Khurshid Shah, Opposition Leader, while speaking on the floor of the House on the subject has asserted that the PPP policy in the current crisis favoured the sending of the prime minister packing during intermediary period, adding he may stage comeback with honour and dignity if he was exonerated by the Supreme Court. He warned, if the prime minister decided to hold his grounds he would be held responsible for the untoward consequences of his belligerence. Asif Ali Zardari while talking to media in Jhang also made reference to the inevitable ill-fate for the prime minister if he tried to resort to the duel unto the finish

Ironically, the PTI chief has announced a protest rally in Islamabad this week again without taking other parties on board in a bid to earn the distinction of as a sole victor. It may be good news for the government and bad for the opposition including PTI. His solo flights earlier fueled by his impetuousness and obsession had lamentable outcomes invariably because the incumbent prime minister emerged stronger after his each attempt. Sadly, the PTI chief had not learnt lesson of the inevitable downside of the solo flight strategy those ended in crash landing in the past, each worse than the earlier one. Asif Ali Zardari had made a telling observation upon his tactics during his press conference on the Supreme Court judgment in which he stated that Imran Khan left the Opposition and decided to go all alone to the Supreme Court on the Panama Papers. That was his mistake to push the collective opposition in the periphery. His irresistible habit of having the cake and eat it too had cost him dearly politically. But, regretfully, his juggernaut was continuing defying the Einstein definition of expecting propitious results time and again out of the successive poor judgments.

The prime minister’s survival and longevity largely owed to the political inanities of the PTI according to the PPP leadership. The prime minister is now in hot waters indeed and the temperature is not going to subside as all the stakes are against him on the political horizon of the country. All the major political parties are seemingly determined to stretch to the limits to bring the government to the ground and the Supreme Court’s verdict has given enough immunisation to the opponents to destroy the political citadel of the PML-N in Punjab and beyond before the holding of forthcoming elections in 2018.

The political sloganeering and rallies against the government will gather momentum in the future engrossed to give hard time to the government while treading on the principle of politics, ‘others losses are my gains,’. The issues of loadshedding, unemployment, miserable conditions of the farmers, declining exports, and the budgetary deficit including diplomatic isolation are all the soft bellies of the government. The clock of diminishing return is ticking. Nawaz Sharif has the singular distinction of becoming three times prime minister of the country. He owes this also to the PPP that agreed to strike down the bar imposed by General Musharraf stipulating no prime minister can serve more than two terms.

PPP is upset with the PML-N government because the names of its stalwarts are being put on the ECL on frivolous grounds. The case against Dr Asim Hussain created a lot of bad blood between the two parties. He had to be released on bail after more than a year in custody because the prosecution could not present the evidences those could stand the witness box.

Similarly, the question of giving powers to the Rangers had been bone of contention. Lately, the transfer of IG Sindh is proving another irritant. The disappearing of the close aides of Asif Ali Zardari recently, and the government’s lackluster attitude has widened the gulf between the two parties. PPP leadership knows the real background but frustrated over the grotesque silence of the government over the disappearances although the Act of Parliament demands that the arrested person must be produced in the court within twenty four hours.

In the final analysis, all the parties have spring into action and popular politics is going to overtake them in view of the elections to be held next year. Heightened political activities are foregone conclusion. The frenzy of bare-knuckled world of politics will be at its fullest display. It may be justified if democracy gets further strengthened resultantly. 

muhammadshaheedi@yahoo.com

Head of PPP Media Cell