Nawaz poised to achieve target of mobilising party workers

ISLAMABAD: By showing his popular power, deposed Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is poised to successfully achieve his principal objective – mobilization of his workers and supporters, telling them he has been targeted to throw out of the political arena. The message in his activity is that he will not sit silently because the people’s mandate has been disregarded and he has been fielded out of the office he had been voted in by the electorate. He has approached the political ‘sovereigns’ to keep them abreast of what was done to him.

It was certainly a great sight, satisfying for Nawaz Sharif to see Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi giving him a warm send-off and hug before he departed for the critical travel.The ousted premier showed the resolve to go ahead with his planned post-disqualification high-risk journey in a cavalcade from Islamabad to Lahore on the GT Road. Despite security concerns were brought to his notice, he did not change his programme as he decided to take the plunge to be with people at this time when he has been declared ineligible on an insignificant ground.

Ironically, Nawaz Sharif’s caravan will remain under severe threat till its conclusion in three or even more days given the snail’s pace the caravan moved, but on the contrary no such danger ever existed, was talked about or voiced when the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) had organized their simultaneous long marches from Lahore to the federal capital in 2014 which had later been converted into sit-ins, spanning months.

Paradoxically, all those who supported at the top of their voice the unending PTI protests that entailed a heavy economic cost and losses for a long time are now opposed to Nawaz Sharif’s “homecoming” in a peaceful procession and are alluding to the adverse economic impact that Pakistan will face due to this activity. Obviously, they lack consistency for narrow political motives.

Another important point is that in his several media interactions, Nawaz Sharif has not indirectly referred, even slightly, to the powerful establishment, but his adversaries are continuously subjecting him to the allegation that he was protesting against this influential institution. However, he has declared that he accepts the court judgment but has serious disagreement.

Importantly, the ongoing caravan is not meant to capture, attack or storm any state institution or provoke any organization to intervene to topple the government at the behest of conspirators. There is no and will be no raid on police or other law enforcer during the protracted rally. Violence of any kind is ruled out. However, the PTI’s protests always raised well-founded alarms and suspicions that they were intended to bring down the constitutionally elected federal government and were marred with aggression and attacks on national installations.

As far as the security paraphernalia put in place for the protection of the deposed prime minister and participants of the cavalcade is concerned, it has to be unprecedented given the grave security threats. The abundant resources that the public kitty spent to guard PTI Chairman Imran and his protesting colleagues for innumerable times were far more than what is being utilized on the present activity.

Particularly disturbed was the PTI, which saw Nawaz Sharif’s movement as a recipe for its disaster because it feared that it would be nailed down by the rally. It made its last-ditch effort to block the caravan by moving in conjunction with the PAT identical petitions in the Islamabad High Court (IHC), but in vain. The PTI also tried to stop Nawaz Sharif from leading the rally by seeking the help of the Election Commission of Pakistan. These were part of the PTI efforts to accomplish political objectives through courts after failing to get anything worthwhile in the political field against its arch rival. However, Nawaz Sharif embarked upon his travel only after the IHC dismissed these pleas as inconsequential.

Finally, the ousted premier’s disqualification forced him to climb up a bomb-proof shipping container, hurriedly customized for this road journey, which was introduced in Pakistan’s politics over the past few years. Long time ago, Benazir Bhutto used to ascend a truck for her public campaigns. However, for the first time long vehicles were specifically prepared for Imran Khan and Allama Tahirul Qadri for their 2014 sit-ins. After winding up his protest, Qadri parked his vehicle somewhere that he may now dust off for using it again as he has dashed back to Pakistan, thinking that it is an opportune time for him to show his histrionics.

In such sultry, suffocating weather, only unparalleled commitment and sincerity to the cause can bring out people. The intensity of weather doesn’t favour any such rally because its participants have to brave untold hardships with every chance of being dehydrated.

Nawaz Sharif had run a powerful campaign for the 2013 general elections that he had won. Before that, in 2009 he had led a long march from Lahore to press for restoration of deposed judges. However, it was terminated at Gujranwala when he was informed that the government is willing to reinstate the justices.

In 1994, he had embarked on his Tehreek-e-Nijat movement to get rid of the Benazir Bhutto government. After some months, the then President Farooq Leghari dismissed her administration leveling corruption allegations against her.

While his colleague Qamar Zaman severely attacked Nawaz Sharif for this movement, Khursheed Shah acted like a true politician when he said the deposed premier has the right to stage this rally and political leaders need to take such risks.

“I had been advising Nawaz Sharif for four years to connect with the public but now it was too late for that. When people are in power they pay heed to nothing. I was telling Nawaz Sharif to stage a rally but he didn’t understand back then. There is no need for early elections.”