The fault in our stars?

Against the backdrop of the run-up to the celebrations of 70 years of Pakistan’s existence – regardless of the new beginning we made in December 1971 – we have now to contend with a genetic disorder within our system. August 14 is less than a month away and only 11 days ago we commemorated the fortieth anniversary of the military intervention of Gen Ziaul Haq.

This, then, should be an appropriate occasion to seriously deliberate on what we have made of our freedom and whether there are any lessons to be learnt in the context of how we should resolve the present crisis. But that does not at all seem possible because the entire political domain is on fire. What we associate with the mob has penetrated talk shows on our news channels.

This may not be an action replay of any previous encounter in our history. Yet, there are issues that have constantly reverberated. Our political rulers have repeatedly bungled all attempts to resolve these matters. At the same time, they have never had their legitimate right to define and execute our national security policies. The survival of democracy has remained at stake and there are strong voices that periodically question its validity in our circumstances.

I have raised these seminal concerns partly to turn away from the political upheaval of this week. It is so depressing and disturbing. The JIT report on the Sharif family’s financial matters, which has been submitted to the Supreme Court and released for public consumption on Monday, has served as the proverbial Pandora’s box. Not that its revelations are that unforeseen. Our ruling elite have never shied away from flaunting their wealth and authority.

However, the manner in which the JIT conducted its business – armed with the Supreme Court mandate – has made all the difference. For almost two months, we watched the proceedings rise to what they call the chase sequence in the movies. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s appearance before the JIT was one climactic moment. Maryam Nawaz turned her appearance into a political opportunity, though it may be of no avail now.

With its credibility under attack by the PML-N, the JIT report in any case is not to be confused with the Supreme Court’s verdict. The proceedings, which begin tomorrow, will take the issue further and most of the pundits are betting that Nawaz Sharif will not survive as our prime minister. A lot of action in this high drama is still pending. Whatever happens, one question will quietly stand in a corner: will the system survive?

The nation is bound to remain on edge in the coming days while the media whips up the suspense in unashamedly partisan formulations. Is it possible to see this as a symptom of some kind of a collective nervous breakdown? A nervous breakdown is supposed to be a period of mental illness that is the result of severe depression, stress or anxiety.

On the surface, it is the political crisis that has generated this national mood of distress and anxiety. But a more potent reason is the state of our society. Our military interventions and our potentially vulnerable political interludes have failed to build social capital and improve the living conditions of the people who are accused of being the repository of all power.

I will not elaborate. But let me tell you two stories of this week. Like the JIT’s disclosures, they reflect a reality we are all aware of. But unlike the JIT’s disclosures, they will not arouse the interest of our popular media or political commentators. They will not prompt any impassioned outbursts that will be broadcast live on all the channels.

The first incident I want to quote is that of the death of a teenage servant in the house of a female MPA of the PML-N in Lahore on Tuesday. It is reported that the daughter of the MPA had beaten 16-year-old servant and his sister with a club. It was so severe that the boy died and his sister’s cries attracted the attention of nearby residents who eventually called the police. But the MPA had fled from the house with her family.

The other report that I have is about a landlord in Abbottabad who was arrested on the charge of killing a boy who was tied to a donkey and dragged across the fields. According to the police, the donkey had wandered onto the private property of the landlord and when the boy came to get his donkey, the landlord allegedly tied the boy to the animal and set it free to drag the boy, who received multiple injuries and later died.

You may be reminded of the case of a little girl employed in the family of an additional sessions’ judge in Islamabad who was brutally tortured. The chief justice of the Supreme Court took a suo motu notice of it after it was reported in the media. This happened more than six months ago. It would be instructive to use it as a parable and look deeply into the issue to illustrate the nature of social relations that exist within our society. Why don’t we form a JIT and conduct exhaustive interviews of the relevant characters in this tragedy?

No, any focus on these matters is not likely when the nation is overwhelmed with the thrilling story of Nawaz Sharif, who has refused to resign because he thinks that there is a conspiracy against him and the democratic dispensation. Some of his supporters and opponents have argued that while he should go, democracy must stay.

Now, there are aspects of this crisis that cannot be explored in a candid manner because a lot seems to have happened behind closed doors. There is a background to the relations between Nawaz Sharif and the establishment. Some recent incidents may also cast their shadows. The trust deficit is palpable. Questions could also be raised about Imran Khan’s role – though he has certainly been vindicated in his agitation against Nawaz Sharif.

As I said, this is all cloak-and-dagger stuff that is beyond a poor scribe who has no access to the corridors of power. This is not to say that the analysts who so proudly boast about their contacts have any inkling about the real state of affairs.

So, let me conclude with the introduction of a published report, datelined Multan: “Veteran politician Javed Hashmi has termed the Panama Papers investigation ‘a ploy to oust’ Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif rather than to hold him accountable and regretted that there is no accountability when it comes to military and judiciary”.

The writer is a senior journalist.

Email: ghazi_salahuddin@hotmail.com