Time marches on

Pakistan is not even qualified to be called a banana republic. One of the most corrupt countries of the world has used the ‘Sadiq and Amin clause’ to disqualify the prime minister. We are really a strange bunch of people who have wasted 70 years in every way to damage this hard-earned piece of land. After having lost half of the country, Pakistanis still haven’t learnt a single lesson from their chequered history. Today, we are feeling proud that we have sent a strong PM home and a new precedent is set. But what we are ignoring is the fact that this precedent isn’t beneficial for us. In the end, there is no Sadiq and Amin in the entire country and we may have to import these people from abroad. The full credit goes to Imran Khan for his great hunt and he must celebrate until the time his turn comes. He will have to deal with some sensitive issues that will fall in the domain of Sadiq and Amin. In addition, it was amusing to watch Sheikh Rasheed celebrating the victory. He claimed that he was ‘the hero’. Equally amusing was the jubilation of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, son of ‘Great Zardari’. The young Bhutto has forgotten that the PPP’s PM Yousaf Raza Gillani was also disqualified when he failed to write to Swiss authorities about his ill-gotten wealth.

Having said that, one holds Nawaz Sharif equally responsible for the entire episode. Right from the 2013 elections, he was constantly kept under pressure. The first dharna should have opened his eyes. If he could not control all the organs of the state, he should have simply resigned and referred this issue to the relevant authorities as he was not being allowed to work to his mandate. Makhdoom Hashmi repeatedly reminded him of the plot, but he took it lightly. If you cannot implement democracy, there is no point clinging to power aimlessly. Resigning after the first dharna would have sent a strong message to the powers that be, and the entire opposition would have supported him wholeheartedly.

Zahid Ali Khan (Rawalpindi)