Shifting sands

By Raoof Hasan

“When all the scaffolding is removed, it is our integrity that both defines us and identifies us. Men of integrity are like the rock of Gibraltar – steadfast and immovable. Men without it are like the shifting sands on the Sahara Desert – tossed to and fro by every variant wind of life.” – Ted R Callister

Unpredictability is an integral component of all human pursuits. Words spoken, promises made, dreams nurtured, distances traversed, destinations envisioned, hardships encountered, stories of valour or acts of cowardice – these are all wrapped in an aura of unpredictability. There are times when the cherished goals are attained, but there are also times when success remains an illusion. Yet, the journey must continue with an expression of gratitude by those who have reached their zenith, and sustenance of hope that times will inevitably show the path to those who may not have succeeded.

There is another way to look at it – by the measure of truth that one can assimilate and express. There are those for whom a mark of achievement only generates more insatiable greed and there are those for whom even a little success brings indescribable contentment. Lost in the currents of life, one tends to forget its vagaries, the happiness that it brings and the sorrows it showers, and that the espousal of predictability is contaminated with germs of uncertainties. The ultimate enigma is the mirage that keeps beckoning in the distance, giving us hope to move on, yet it drifts away as we near it. In other words, the critical reality is that there is no reality in the end, or a fake reality tailored to accomplish pre-meditated objectives.

The macabre dance orchestrated by the combined opposition is a kind of reality that comes wrapped in layers of pretensions and presumptions. But when these layers start coming apart, what is laid bare is not a very charitable sight. Take the case of the JUI-F, one of the lead players in this concoction of interests.

It all started with Hafiz Hussain Ahmed’s opening salvo, but the real burst came from Maulana Sheerani. Dubbing Fazlur Rehman a ‘liar’, he said that the PDM had been put together to ‘safeguard personal interests’ and the rallies were being staged to ‘strike a deal with the establishment’. He went on to declare that Fazlur Rehman himself was ‘selected’ and that not only would Imran Khan complete his present tenure, he'd also be there for the subsequent five years.

In addition to having the support of Hafiz Hussain Ahmed, he has since been joined by Maulana Gul Naseeb, Maulana Shujaul Mulk and many others who are equally at variance with their former leader’s self-serving brand of politics.

The words spoken by Maulana Sheerani are harsh words to be used for a leader who believes that the concept of the state is incomplete without his inclusion and a government without him is an aberration. His hubris knows no bounds. He says he needs no certification from any individual or institution. Sitting in judgement on himself, he has declared himself ‘sadiq and ameen’. The murmurs that he has accumulated assets without credible legal sources are now being discussed and probed.

With the JUI-F breaking apart at the seams, discordant voices are becoming louder within the PML-N also as the PPP watches the drama happily from the sidelines. With the rebel JUI-F leaders vowing to start parallel party offices, this conundrum will send a chill through the veins of other constituents of the PDM – at the prospect of desertions from among their ranks, something that may force them to re-evaluate their entire protest strategy.

The duplicity of the opposition’s clamour for submitting resignations has been fully exposed by their intention to participate in the by-elections for the national and provincial assemblies’ seats and the Senate polls. If they genuinely believe that parliament is not an appropriate forum to engage in a political dialogue to sort out the differences, as they have taken the agitation to the streets, there is no rationale for them to seek further representation in the assemblies. The fact that they are doing so reflects deep erosion of their integrity.

All this is happening because there never was any sincere purpose for the opposition’s agitation. It was used as Machiavellian apparel to defend their corruption and boundless appetite for power at all costs. Fazlur Rehman’s role in the concoction was of the one who would provide street power. Divisions within his party’s ranks render that unlikely now. With every shred of pretence of fighting for civilian supremacy having been blown away, what I see is a gradual dismantling of this edifice of protest that was always nestled on shifting sands.

The writer is the special assistant to the PM on information, a political and security strategist, and the founder of the Regional Peace Institute.

Twitter: @RaoofHasan