Achakzai, Bizenjo stand with Nawaz against heavy odds

ISLAMABAD: The appearance of Mehmood Achakzai of Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) and Hasil Bizenjo of National Party (NP) in the Accountability Court with ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif was meant to show solidarity with him at this trying time.

It was a symbolic gesture, and they chose to publicly demonstrate their support to the former premier at a time when a negligible number of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders are shy of being seen with him “on principle” after his July 28 Supreme Court-sanctioned disqualification and the subsequent trial he is undergoing.

Achakzai and Bizenjo have proved that they are solid allies of Nawaz Sharif and are unwavering in their stand since they firmly joined hands with him in 2013 when they became coalition partners in Balochistan and at the federal level.

When the PML-N ran into a deep trouble in Balochistan due to the removal of its chief minister, Sardar Sanaullah Zehri, the following hijacking of its entire provincial chapter and the Senate elections, it has in its pocket the backing of whatever the parliamentary gains the PkMAP and NP will make in the forthcoming general elections. It is relying on their future electoral numerical strength emerging from this province.

The guts and strength of character exhibited by these two parties to stand up and be counted as Nawaz Sharif’s strong allies is rare in a milieu when an environment has been created in Balochistan where the PML-N and any political party joining forces with it is going to encounter a hard and complex situation in order to incapacitate them to get anything worthwhile in the next parliamentary polls. It will not be less than a miracle if anybody not aligned with the newfound political entity - the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) – will win in this province.

This picture is a writing on the wall even for naïve persons. But Achakzai and Bizenjo are not bothered about the electoral losses or gains and persist with their bonhomie and camaraderie with Nawaz Sharif. They offer unique political examples which are not too many in Pakistan where a predominant majority of political parties and politicians swim with the tide. They are willing to face the challenge.

While there are defections, though in a small number, from the PML-N so far, and grapevine has it that some more desertions will be orchestrated during the 60-day caretaker interregnum, the PkMAP and NP are united and are not confronted with fissures and cracks.

In view of the situation created thus far, and the emerging conditions which the PML-N is going to come across in the next a few months, Nawaz Sharif has given the call for a level-playing field for every political party in the fresh elections to make them free, fair and transparent.

He appreciated Chief Justice Saqib Nisar’s categorical remarks about non-validation of martial law, if imposed, adherence to the Constitution, not allowing delay of the polls etc., but urged him to prove these announcements by his actions.

Achakzai, who flanked him, stated that the chief justice should ask all institutions to come together and take an oath of the implementation of the Constitution. “Every institution has its own framework within the Constitution and we will have to stand against anyone who decides to cross the limits.”

The ex-premier was critical of the role being played by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) during the ongoing poll campaign targeting the PML-N and said that he would request Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi to make the anti-graft watchdog ineffective before the beginning of elections until their end.

Since its creation, the NAB has shown its obsession with high-watt publicity for its actions and always makes public the inquiry or investigation notices issued to politicians even before they reach them. Regardless of the results of such exercise, its tremendous hype bring a bad name to the concerned persons even before anything is proved against them. This practice is now at its peak. Most political parties are disturbed over this policy mainly because of the fast approaching elections. They fear that this campaign is scaring their leaders and will damage them in the polls.