Muhammad Ali Baig
Why the supporters and voters of Pakistan Muslim League (N) are chanting the slogans ‘Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’? How and why do they perceive that the Supreme Court of Pakistan disqualified PM Nawaz Sharif following the Panama Case Probe, but still he is their legitimate leader? Apart from the will of the people at large, various political parties have shown their reservations on the verdict. The decision of the Honourable Judges is to be respected and implemented, while some of the credit goes to the Government that it showed remarkable constraint on the historic judgement. However, some decisions lacking public support often result in review and re-examination even after considerable period of time. For example, the Supreme Court verdict regarding Bhutto’s Execution was regretted by (late) Justice Nasim Hasan Shah who himself was a member of the Honourable Bench responsible for the judgement.The Nawaz Rally for gaining and gauging public support and the overwhelming majority of the people marching alongside him is a clear sign that people of Pakistan have a great deal of respect for Pakistan Muslim League (N) and especially Nawaz Sharif. PML-N may go the masses for gaining and reaffirming people’s support for Nawaz Sharif but it is a fact that in the past four years they could not maintain effective and firm connection with the people. The political situation after Nawaz’s Rally is becoming increasingly in favour of PML-N and the Chairman Senate Raza Rabbani’s statement that ‘to put Nawaz out of Government was pre-planned’ is further fuelling Nawaz’s support. Muhammad Nawaz Sharif is disqualified from holding any public office but in the words of Chaudhary Nisar Ali Khan ‘no one can stop Nawaz Sharif from being a leader’. If the people of Pakistan rejects Nawaz Sharif and the PML-N in the 2018 General Elections then it would be the only legal and constitutional and perhaps acceptable way for Nawaz Sharif and his comrades to accept defeat. Nawaz’s basic demand that civilian supremacy should be upheld and respected is neither wrong nor unconstitutional; however, his tactics are highly debatable. If the political parties including PTI and PPP would have rejected military intervention in 1999 just like the Turkish people and political parties did in July 2016, then perhaps this day would never have come upon Pakistan.Imran Khan has to realize that disqualification of Nawaz is not in the larger interest of the political landscape of Pakistan and the Parliamentary System. It would weaken the foundations of political institutions and would not be a surprise that Imran Khan himself would become a victim of this disqualification-mantra in the near future. It is speculated that there might be some people in Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf itself, who are looking forward to see Imran Khan being disqualified on the charges of Ayesha Gulalai and Sita White.
Since its independence in 1947, Pakistan has been in a constant state of political destabilization and turmoil – as a consequence the nation has paid a lot. Now, perhaps the time has come that our political parties and the pillars of the state have to determine that whether they want to play their role while remaining in the framework of the constitution or they are still reluctant to give people and the state – what Pakistan and its people totally deserve.