Political parties are painting themselves into a no-exit situation by pressing for a trial of the retired General Musharraf under Article 6, which enjoins a trial for violation of the constitution. This is indeed a very good start to a clean up of the corruption that has eaten away at this country’s character, and should be encouraged. In the forefront is the media, baying for the blood of the corrupt, most of whom have been exposed by the same media in their chase for higher sales of their newspapers or ratings on television. They have successfully exposed mega-scams in all walks of public life. The politicos have been vilified especially and, except for Imran Khan, are all liable to very large jail sentencing if the laws of Pakistan were to be applied judiciously. No one would escape the law. The National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) has been declared illegal so there is no chance of any relief; even the presidential pardon cannot be invoked now that Zardari is no longer president.
We can safely say that there will not be a way out for disgraced politicians, for public opinion itself is convinced that our politicians are indeed corrupt. Five months down the road, even Imran Khan’s party ministers have been sacked on corruption charges! The public perception of the politicians’ corruption is shared by the rank and file of the army as well — this is the powder keg waiting to be lit.
With only rumblings against some of the PPP ministers, there is no visible action against any member of the PPP regime, one that has surpassed all previous levels of corruption. For Chaudhry Nisar to focus on just General Musharraf smacks of a witch-hunt that may lead us into a confrontation between the institution of the army and the ‘bloody civilians’. This, then, is the new ‘us versus them’ divide that is now emerging and may be the new social/political problem to emerge, as opposed to the older class divisions.
A close look at the people surrounding Nawaz Sharif, who are among the lead ravers screaming for the blood of Musharraf, are many who would be picked up on unfinished corruption charges, including the Sharif brothers themselves, whose cases on the Hudaibiya Paper Mills, etc, are still pending in the NAB courts. Yes, these are not very clean hands, and the people in the military camp must already have their lists made and ready for introduction into the fray.
All the people in Pakistan live in glass houses, and the first stone is about to be thrown. It will definitely give an opportunity to someone to make a bid ‘in the higher interest’ of course. Today, Imran Khan is the only politician who seems clean. All his detractors are arguing that he is not very clever, not like the normal wily politicians are, and many make fun of him on this score. These media persons have, with their repeated Imran bashing, managed to spread their poison into the foreign press, a dangerous move. Parts of the media are allegedly heavily fuelled by foreign funding, with the infighting spilling over onto the streets and highlighted in opposing papers, and even into the courts. This is in itself a new step for the media, for never before have the opposing sides in a media war gone to court — not in Pakistan.
However, their anti-Imran campaign will not find any takers. In this case, whether within the constitution or outside it, the new movers will first establish their writ over the state by some ruthless accountability. In this, they would have the complete support of the entire nation. It seems Nawaz has lost the plot and is throwing stones. Living in a glass house, such behaviour is very dangerous indeed.
The writer is a freelance columnist