A cascade of crises

In the immediate aftermath of a historic victory in the game of cricket that raised the spirits of the citizens of Pakistan, we have been assailed by a series of tragic events and troublesome developments on the strategic and political fronts. Our Eid celebrations, in a collective sense, were greatly diminished by these distractions.

There, at one level, is the incredible tragedy of the Bahawalpur inferno that also reflects the state of our society. It has exposed the inadequacies of our administration in dealing with a major disaster. One measure of the shock that it dispensed was that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif rushed from his foreign visit to offer condolences to the families of the victims.

But Parachinar has a larger significance in the context of our unfinished war against terrorism and religious militancy. Does it signify some kind of a shift in how the establishment will now deal with incidents of terror that may be presumed to be sectarian in nature?

We have to be mindful of the role that Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa has played in resolving the situation that had developed after the twin bomb blasts in Parachinar on the last Friday of Ramazan. General Bajwa has been quite candid in his references to the sectarian divide in the country. He said that the enemy is trying to foment and exploit this divide. However, it could be argued that this terrorism also has a domestic dimension.

In a related perspective, the emergence of the Modi-Trump nexus and the decision taken by the US to designate Hizbul Mujahideen leader Syed Salahuddin as a global terrorist is a matter of utmost concern for Pakistan. At the same time that the army chief was in Parachinar, the prime minister was in the foreign ministry in Islamabad to review our foreign policy priorities in the wake of recent developments.

It is obvious that the regional and global scenario is changing and this should naturally oblige Pakistan to readjust its policies to meet the emerging challenges. This requires an informed debate at the national level to make an honest assessment on how our national interest is to be guarded, with a particular emphasis on lessons that we must learn from the strategic choices that we have made in the past.

It is, to be sure, a tough task, considering the ambiguity that exists in the existing power structure. As I mentioned, Nawaz Sharif was in the foreign ministry in Islamabad when General Bajwa was negotiating with the protesters in Parachinar and he was able to persuade them to call off their eight-day-long sit-in after taking a number of important decisions.

As for the review of our foreign policy, an official statement said that the prime minister had expressed disappointment over the “complete silence” on the atrocities committed by the Indian forces against innocent Kashmiris in the US-India joint statement issued after Narendra Modi met US President Trump in the White House.

In addition, he underscored the importance of securing peace and stability in the region through dialogue and reiterated the importance Pakistan has attached to its continued partnership with the US. And there was the expected expression of satisfaction over the status of strategic partnership with China and the progress on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

However, the big question is whether        Friday’s         deliberations will soon lead to some new initiatives on the part of Pakistan in the foreign policy domain and if there is to be some variations on the theme that we have pursued so far. On the face of it, new realities always demand new approaches. Is the present state of mind of our rulers conducive to any bold but confident ventures in a new appraisal of our national security objectives?

Unfortunately, the political stage at this time is dominated by the sorry spectacle of discord and a tug-of-war of another kind. So much so that pundits are predicting an overthrow of the present government through judicial means. The focus is on the proceedings of the JIT, which was formed by the Supreme Court to probe the finances of the Sharif family in light of the revelations made in the Panama Papers.

This means that the entire national scene is in a state of chaos. That the JIT has decided to summon prime minister’s daughter Maryam Nawaz to appear before it has prompted a great deal of comment and excitement. Technically, this should not be seen as a big deal since the prime minister, his brother Shahbaz Sharif and his sons have already appeared before the JIT. The sons, in fact, have been called a number of times and will make another appearance in the coming week before their sister – who is often seen as her father’s political successor – takes the stand.

How the JIT has proceeded with its task has raised a lot of dust. Leaders of the ruling PML-N see it as a witch-hunt. There is also an investigation against the SECP on allegations of the tampering of records that relate to companies owned by the Sharif family. In that sense, the tempo is rising and the JIT is presiding over a massive thriller.

So tense is this situation that Imran Khan has said that national sovereignty will be harmed if Nawaz Sharif survives and continues to be the prime minister after the investigations that relate to the Panama Papers. As you would expect, Sheikh Rashid has said it in a more dramatic fashion. After visiting those who were injured in the Bahawalpur tragedy in a Lahore hospital, he prophesised the ouster of the present government  within eight days   to eight weeks.Is there a game plan, somewhere, as to how these issues will be resolved? If you trust the wisdom of a wily politician like Babar Awan, a change is in the offing and Imran Khan is a safe bet. That is why he is the latest star of the PPP to shift          his loyalties. Yet, Babar Awan’s move is not as surprising as Imran Khan’s willingness to accept him. And this paints a dreary prospect of what can happen to Pakistan when its leaders are unwilling to strike a new path and truly inspire the youth of this country.

My regret is that in the midst of all these happenings and emotional involvements, we cannot sufficiently pay attention to revelations that Raymond Davis has made in his book. Pakistan must be exceptional in presenting such grand spectacles. But don’t think about it. How much more misery can we bear?

The writer is a senior journalist.

Email: ghazi_salahuddin@hotmail.com