A Rasheed
SHAFAQNA PAKISTAN (Shia News Agency)
Political track record of Nawaz Sharif, spanned over decades, betrays his naivety and amateurish – egoistic treatment to politics. Every time he forgets that he was booted out of power on previous occasions, despite his so called heavy mandates. Every time it is a de ja vu. It is therefore not possible for any analyst to visualize and predict his next faulty course of action. One fact is pretty obvious that he is regretting for his arrogant stance towards army leadership as he has presently facilitated regaining the lost space to the army. The immediate future events will tell how for the amends made by him have repaired the damage, hoping only that it is not already too late.
Quarters victim of his arrogance have cut him down to size. But this mutual antagonism of the federal institutions, aired unnecessarily through the naivety of Nawaz Sharif, has taken a heavy toll from the fledgling democracy of Pakistan. Completion of five years term by the previous Peoples Party government along with the completion of presidential term with smooth transfer of power had greatly restored the faith of the common man in democratic order. Unfortunately after the pandemonium generated through mishandling of state affairs by the PML-N government one hears the utterances of our illiterate people, “Democracy has failed in Pakistan”.
It is a pity that the mavericks doing rounds on non issues have put a heavily mandated democratic dispensation on the defensive. The dictatorial tendencies of Nawaz Sharif that prompted him the conception of 15th constitutional amendment, way back during 90’s, which was blocked, luckily by the Senate of Pakistan, from becoming law, are still pulsating in the man.
The government appears to be in a state of consternation and flap. The government is now poised to kill a fly with a hammer. The latest expression of government’s getting cold feet is reflected by their desperate bid of calling in FC and army in Lahore. It is now obvious that the civil government is progressively conceding space to the army. In addition to the federal capital, Islamabad, the army will also be controlling the biggest province of Pakistan. This state of affairs symbolizes application of an old saying that, ‘the elephant is already in the room’. What is the schedule of its getting out of the room is not in any one’s control.
Punjab provincial government of PML-N, headed by Shahbaz Sharif, multiplied the troubles of the central government by unnecessarily cracking down on Tahirul Qadri’s outfit in Model Town, which resulted in several deaths and injuries. Again, “Killing a fly with a hammer”. PML-N leadership knows the origin and development of Tahirul Qadri’s Awami Tehrik as well as Qadri’s personality. Everyone knows that Qadri is a Canadian national and as such can nourish any political ambitions in Pakistan. He has a sizable and dedicated following the world over. He undertakes occasional excursions to Pakistan to gauge the political waters where he could capitalize on any fleeting opportunity, whereas the government starts taking him seriously and compounds problems for itself.
Mr Qadri has himself said on several occasions that he is not interested in elections. That should simply be enough to ignore him. As for his frequent chatter about bringing about a revolution is concerned, it must also be ignored because of Qadri’s abject ignorance. It would not be out of place to quote Mao Zedong on revolution:
“A revolution is not a dinner party, or writing an essay, or painting a picture, or doing embroidery; it cannot be so refined, so leisurely and gentle, so temperate, kind, courteous, restrained and magnanimous. A revolution is an insurrection, an act of violence by which one class overthrows another.”
PML-N government also compounded its problems by mishandling Pervez Musharraf case, again, unnecessarily. By no means I am advocating the cause of Pervez Musharraf. I only contend that one should bite only as much as one can chew. Who would have a richer experience of dealing with the army leadership than Nawaz Sharif himself? One is at loss to understand as to what had changed since Nawaz Sharif’ ouster from the government in October 1999? With the exception of having a freer media no bets have changed. Same corrupt politicians, same legislators with fake degrees, same scavenging legislators who are perpetually draining the foreign exchange reserves of the federation to the Swiss and other banks. Last but not the least, same incumbents concentrating on infra structure and ignoring services because the business in infra structure flourishes better and the work on the services is left for the future rulers. After all the future rulers must also have something to do?
There are no two views about the writ of the democratic civil government to be supreme and all other state institution, including the armed forces, to work under the government, in the confines of the constitution of the federation.
We must learn from the Turkish experience. The leadership of the Turkish armed forces also had to act time and again and assume the duties of running the civilian affairs because the Turkish legislators also presented a corrupt and inefficient administration. The civilians learnt from their experience and mended their ways and succeeded in subordinating the armed forces of the country. Our political stake holders must learn from the Turkish experience and then think of subordinating the armed forces. Not before that and not like Don Quixote, a character of Michal Servant’s novel.
pakistan.shafaqna.com
