Damaged NAP

The federal and Sindh governments have been at daggers drawn for over a month now over the scope of powers of the Rangers. Each side has been looking and waiting for the other to move. Last week, PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari accused the federal government of overstepping the constitution by ignoring the Sindh Assembly resolution on limiting the powers of the Rangers. And on Sunday, speaking on the eighth anniversary of Benazir Bhutto’s death at Garhi Khuda Bux, Bilawal Bhutto too decided to speak up. Ignoring the pressure and criticism caused by the death of a child due to his protocol, young Bilawal, seemed to stick to the same line that has been used by the PPP these past few weeks. Bilawal accused the federal government of using the National Action Plan to target the PPP. On his part, Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah accused the federation of using one man, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, to rule over Sindh. All that said and done, the verdict is that even though the PPP leadership has kept its volume and rhetoric up, it is probably willing to compromise. Its top leaders will keep up the angry talk, but have decided against approaching the Supreme Court to challenge the extension of full powers for the Rangers in Karachi.

But if extreme measures are to be avoided as a PPP prerogative, then what is the party’s game plan on the ongoing operation against terrorism? If it honestly believes it is being wronged, then the fight it is putting up does not seem to hold much muscle. There is also confusion over what and where the leadership is in the PPP. Zardari’s election to the post of PPP president makes little sense, unless he is ready to relinquish the post of co-chairman and is ready to let Bilawal take the reins of the party. Nonetheless, Zardari’s recent statements seem to indicate he still has the fire for a political fight. If recent reports are anything to go by, it seems Sindh’s political crisis over the Rangers may finally be heading to a resolution in the short term. Apparently, Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah has been invited for talks with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to discuss any differences. Any temporary resolution, however, will not undo the damage that the politicisation of NAP has already done. This responsibility lies with the federal and Sindh governments.