Mandi Bahauddin Seat of power

This refers to the article, ‘A game of chess?’ (Sep 30), by Babar Sattar. The learned lawyer has thoroughly surveyed the political landscape of the country to draw up different political scenarios likely to emerge in the wake of pitched political battles raging at the beginning of the election year. His prediction that a weak, hung parliament, which looks increasingly possible as the politicians fight and bleed each other, could suit the establishment, is not without merit. His wariness of “ambitious generals molesting the constitution with the aid and abetment of judges” also makes sense to anyone worried about the future of democracy in the country.

However, one wishes the writer would have spared a word or two about the relentless power games our politicians play in cahoots with the forces they subsequently wrangle with to control the levers of power. Our politicians fail to learn that they are elected to establish rule of law and a writ of the state. In doing so, they should see their voters as a support base and moral capital rather than treating them as mere pawns in the pursuit of power. Without doing that, any power games the politicians play might push them even further to the precipice of infamy and ignominy they often face when not honouring the mandate and trust of their electorates.

Hamid Raza Wattoo (Islamabad)