Daily Times

As I write this column, I am continuously reminded of three birthdays that fall on this day, December 25, 2014. The first is of course Christmas, the second is of the founder of Pakistan and the third is of our Prime Minister (PM), Mian Nawaz Sharif. Mian sahib has today reached the official age of retirement for all government employees in Pakistan. And if he were a citizen of the US he would, after today, become eligible for Medicare, the old age medical insurance available to all US citizens above the age of 65. It is definitely a milestone for Mian sahib and it seems that he is actually thinking about slowing down if not completely retiring.

Many in Pakistan have noticed that over the last many months it does not seem that Mian sahib’s heart is in it anymore. As a matter of fact, during the first year of his present tenure, he spent more days abroad than he did attending sessions of the house that elected him as its leader and that, even if not too conducive to good governance, at least kept Mian sahib amused and occupied. Unfortunately, ever since Imran Khan started his dharna (sit-in) situation, the ability of Mian sahib to leave for trips abroad has become considerably restricted. And with the new war on terrorism (sounds familiar that one), he now seems to be immobilised even further. Clearly, anything besides visiting London, building more roads and selling public enterprises to cronies is not his cup of tea. This makes Mian sahib’s recent announcement of personally leading the war on terrorism a little surprising.

It is possible that after watching all those Turkish television programmes about Sultans, perhaps Mian sahib felt that he could actually lead the war on terror. It is entirely possible that Mian sahib imagined himself all dressed up in sultan regalia, riding a white charger and brandishing a sword as his enemies fell to the ground in utter awe. But then reality intervened and Mian sahib realised that wars are best fought by those trained to do such things and none in the extended Mian clan is known for such capabilities. I do not think that the younger Sharif, even at his intrepid best, will agree to lead a charge against the terrorists even if his minions in the Punjab police or its ‘elite’ squads agreed to follow him. So, that leaves only one set of people who can fight such a fight and we all know who they are.

Here, a bit of conspiracy theory. Many op-ed writers and talking heads believe that Imran Khan and his dharnas weakened Mian sahib to the point where he was forced to cede many of his powers to the army. I believe that it is quite the other way. Early on in his third ‘at bat’ as PM, Mian sahib realised that things were not as simple as he thought they would be and governing Pakistan in the present day was a difficult task. After some early anxiety he actually welcomed Imran Khan’s dharna activities, especially once he realised that nobody was planning to kick him out or send him to Attock Fort. The dharnas gave him something to blame for his government’s failure to do much of anything. As I have said above, other than building roads and selling state owned enterprises to cronies, Mian sahib has little interest in governance. So he was only too happy to cede foreign policy to the army; one less thing to worry about.

Now, after the tragedy in Peshawar, Mian sahib has decided to let the army do everything as far as internal law and order and the fight against terrorism are concerned. That section of the constitution will be implemented, which allows the army to ‘assist’ civilian authorities. We will have special courts run by the army to handle terrorism suspects. Of course, under the aforementioned section, the superior courts are essentially sidelined. So now, Mian sahib will have what Mian sahib wants and that is a chance to build a few more roads, give away a few more state owned industries to the usual suspects and award some very lucrative energy contracts to a few old friends, and, while he is at it, also make many, many more trips to London at public expense. But it would be interesting to see what happens if any members of Mian sahib’s extended family get caught in the army net during its hunt for terrorist sympathisers and supporters.

The army on the other hand is quite willing to accept what Mian sahib has to offer: complete control over foreign policy, freedom to pursue the terrorists and their supporters anywhere in the country and, at the same time, full backing of political governments as well as parliament. The sweetest part of the deal for the army is that it does not have to worry about load shedding or gas shedding or the rising price of everything. So, in an interesting way, Mian sahib and his government act as a buffer between the army and the general public while the army serves as a buffer between Mian sahib and Taliban types. Win-win it would seem for both sides.

Politicians, like doctors and lawyers, seldom retire willingly but Mian sahib has, I believe, decided to slow down and, as is said, smell the roses. The only problem is what happens if things do not work out as planned. Here it would seem pretty obvious that if things go wrong, which side will end up not only being forced to take the blame but perhaps also forced to suffer more than just that. That then is the best reason for Mian sahib to provide full support for army actions; that also increases the chances of success of the army’s campaign against the terrorists.

The writer has practiced and taught medicine in the US. He can be reached at smhmbbs70@yahoo.com