Daily Times

It is all well and good for the sitting prime minister to carve out some time for family commitments out of a hectic schedule but some days, the ship cannot be run from afar. PM Sharif has spontaneously decided to prolong his stay in London while Pakistan continues to drudge through the thick fog of political uncertainty.

This is the third time since Apil that Junior Sharif needs blessings from the family to drag his feet through the challenges considered an essential part and parcel of his portfolio. Not long ago, his ascension to the hot seat as the 23rd prime minister of Pakistan was celebrated as the return of a no-nonsense attitude towards commitments. Because while big brother has always managed to pull enormous crowds, PM Sharif’s diligent administration, practical skills and ambitious development, especially in the Punjab model repeatedly earned him a perfect 10.

The sheepish display of running from the ground realities and sitting on the fence could never, even in the wildest imaginations, be expected of someone who had waited all his life for the golden ticket. The man who was supposed to roll up his sleeves and get down to the nitty-gritty seems content with humming and hawing. Had Pakistan been a developed country with an ideal political atmosphere and all macro indicators in check, this non-challance would have played out perfectly fine. After all, the likes of Joe Biden, when accompanied by world-class bureaucracy and pristine institutions, continue to see through their term without causing any irrevocable harm to their countries. But alas! ours is a nation already standing on the edge–on top of a wobbly stool.

May it be the SOS signals sent by the market forces or the skyrocketing inflation burning a hole in the common man’s pocket; the distressing air of chaos amid blockades, containers and protest demonstrations or the measly response to millions rendered homeless by the vicious monsoon; Pakistan has never before stood at a more fatal crossroad. Holding deliberations with the who’s who in Islamabad and Rawalpindi to finally unroll the much-awaited plan for the appointment of the new Chief of Army Staff might help restore some calm. After all, the optics surrounding the flurry of meetings appear far more luminous when held inside the mothership. *