The year that was

Much of the political upheaval, ascendant militancy and general uncertainty of 2017 have continued into the first sunrise of 2018. The year 2017 had more than its fair share of political drama: as in 2012, a sitting prime minister was removed by the Supreme Court. There was a repeat of 2007 when violent extremists laid siege to Islamabad for weeks. Just as happens every year, Imran Khan and Tahirul Qadri routinely threatened to take to the streets. And the lynching of student Mashal Khan in Mardan served yet another brutal reminder of the danger faced by those who are carelessly accused of blasphemy or who try to bring about positive change in the country. On the political front, 2017 can be seen as a preamble to the general elections scheduled for this year. Even something as monumental as the census – conducted for the first time since 1998 – caused divisions along political lines with the PPP and MQM-Pakistan crying foul over what they saw as deliberate undercounting of the population in Sindh. The PPP’s brinksmanship over the census led the party to delay till end 2017 a constitutional amendment allowing the Election Commission of Pakistan to begin the delimitation of constituencies. The census was also significant in that it revealed a continued gap between the number of men and women in the country.

The most seismic political event of 2017 was undoubtedly the disqualification of Nawaz Sharif and the lifetime ban handed to him by the Supreme Court in its Panama Papers verdict. The judgment was a controversial one, with many legal analysts pointing to the relatively minor offence – receiving, but not withdrawing, a salary in the UAE that he did not declare in his nomination forms – under which Nawaz was punished. While accepting the verdict, Nawaz was defiant as he took to the streets to show he still has the mandate of the people. It is safe to assume that the PTI has entered the new year with the same politics of protest while the PPP may just continue to flirt with both Imran and Tahirul Qadri in order to somehow stay relevant. No one is quite sure what is going to happen next but if last year is any guide, election season will throw up surprise after surprise.

Political storylines sucked up so much media oxygen in 2017 that comparatively little attention was paid to the resurgence of militant violence. After the successes of Operation Zarb-e-Azb, the emergence of the Islamic State and the regrouping of old militant groups led to over five hundred casualties in militant attacks, with the country suffering a major attack every month. If this return to militant violence has taught us anything, it is that we need to target the mindset that nourishes such groups. Alas, the state showed it doesn’t have the mettle to attack extremism. The helplessness of the state rose on the graph by the end of 2017 with the sit-in staged by Khadim Hussain Rizvi’s Tehreek-e-Labbaik Ya Rasul Allah. The dharna ended with complete capitulation by the government and state agencies, controversy over who was responsible for the appeasement, the resignation of Law Minister Zahid Hamid and vocal demands for heads to roll in Punjab as well.

The larger trend of the weakening of parliamentary power was also witnessed in terms of the economy, which was still 2017’s most positive story. Although CPEC got most of the limelight, the improvement in real GDP growth and praise from international financial institutions were welcome signs. But we also witnessed a tighter grip of economic policymaking by IFIs in a year when IMF Chief Christine Lagarde visited the country. As we enter 2018, we have our work cut out, with the restoration of economic sovereignty hopefully being a key agenda item. The PML-N has repeated that the begging bowl has been broken but concerns over the widening trade deficit as well as the shrinking forex reserves in the country may continue this year too.

The year that passed also took away Dr Ruth Pfau, who had devoted her life to eradicating leprosy in the country. Others from the world of entertainment, literature, and the arts also breathed their last, including Ustad Fateh Ali Khan, Bano Qudsia, A Nayyar and Lala Rukh. While the ordinary people of Pakistan and the world showed extraordinary resilience in the face of violence, uncertainty and mismanagement, every continent saw troubled times in one form or the other. The US tried to come to terms with Donald Trump as its president, North Korea tested its ballistic missile, Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe fell after ruling his country for its entire history, and controversy over controversy on issues of secularism and communal harmony broke out in India. The US created waves – of the wrong kind – by recognising Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. The year 2017 was also one that constantly tried to remind world leaders just how much danger humanity is in due to increasing climate change, conflicts and humanitarian crises.

Amidst all the doom, the past year did give us a stable economy and an improved energy sector – and finally some international cricket on home ground. So, today Pakistan enters the year 2018 in the midst of both insecurity and opportunity. Many did not predict that the current parliament could make it so far but we seem set for another assembly to complete its tenure, in the midst of many political intrigues. However, Pakistani democracy is unfortunately back in a precarious position. There is a need for accountability without putting the fate of the entire democratic setup at stake. This is not something we have learned yet. Perhaps this could be one of this New Year’s resolutions.