Daily Times

My friend and a serious, honest and credible journalist Zahid Hussain has raised some very pertinent points in an op-ed in Dawn that need a response.

Here is what He Says (HS) and here is My Response (MR), point by point.

HS: The so-called accountability process targeting the country’s most powerful political dynasty has widened the fault lines in the existing power structure.

MR: Yes. But so what? What is wrong with an accountability process, which you wrongfully call “so-called” if it targets the most powerful political dynasty? Do we not need to begin at some point to stop and reverse the rot and should we always back off because the crooks are too powerful? Don’t tell me that if action was not taken earlier against a civilian crook or one in uniform, it should never be started.

HS: The judicial action against the Sharifs and the perceived backing of the security establishment in the matter has brought the clash of institutions to a head.

MR: The judicial action is an event that should have taken place years ago, against Sharifs, Zardaris, Maulanas, Pirs, Khans, Waderas, Choudhrys and all. If the security establishment is now backing it, what is wrong? Previously the same establishment used corruption as a ready-made excuse to grab power within no time. Now they are not doing it. Do you disagree or want the old ways to continue?

Do we not need to begin at some point to stop and reverse the rot? If action has so far not been taken against either civilian crooks or those in uniform, should it never be started?

HS: It is an extremely dangerous situation with no one really in charge. If not handled properly, it could bring down the entire political edifice.

MR: It is not correct to say that no one is really in charge. Those who are always watching and monitoring where the State is going are there because they have the biggest stakes and would never let go because of weakness or under coercion. They believe they have the constitutional right to do so. But they are not coming forward to stop or block the stupidity, at least so far. What is “proper handling” has to be elaborated. If politicians do not know what is proper handling, who should be blamed. How do you see the Senate and the NA bill to make a convicted and disqualified person as party head? More importantly as this was done in a surreptitious manner, wrapped in secrecy with a lot of horse-trading and confusion is a sign that thieves were trying to hide behind technicalities. They want the edifice to come down so that they can claim to be political victims and martyrs, once again, but that is not happening and that’s why they are raising the stakes every passing day.

The entire edifice will come down if the politicians do not behave and force a confrontation that no one wants. If they have been caught red handed with their hands in the cookie jar, they must accept and surrender, instead of fighting a losing battle. There have to be some red lines for ethics, morality and an acceptable political behaviour.

HS: Surely, the conspiracy theory that a nexus between the judiciary and the military plotted Sharif’s ouster sounds a bit wild. But as many point out, what appears to be the security establishment’s tacit backing has provided spine to the judiciary. Otherwise, could the latter have taken on a three-time prime minister even though there is substantive evidence implicating Sharif and his family in those cases?

MR: What is wrong and unconstitutional about a judiciary-military nexus? The judges can and have invoked Article 190 of the same Constitution that allows the military, ISI or any other executive organ, to play a role and, more importantly, stop the politicians from playing dirty tricks. When the army is used for every other purpose like in floods, earthquakes, census, Wapda meters under the same Article, whats wrong with using it to check corrupt practices? The performance of the JIT is a glaring recent example. Do you believe if the ISI and MI officers were not part of the JIT, the whole process would not have been hijacked and scuttled? Why are the Sharifs so angry now but were distributing sweets when the JIT was formed? Because they did not think the security establishment and judiciary would work together and do the right thing.

NS: What happens next is not hard to guess — maybe, it is the unraveling of the entire system. The state has seldom been so fractured.

MR: Who is trying to get the system unraveled? It is these politicians who have been caught and have no other escape route. If they are not held accountable now, followed by all others who deserve the same treatment, how can you ever correct this system and put it back on the rails to a forward looking, transparent and honest future. The State will never be allowed to be fractured again. Once was enough.

HS: Sharif’s arrival at the court under a VVIP protocol sends a clear message that he is still in charge and not defeated yet. His decision to return has certainly gained the disgraced leader huge political mileage, putting his opponents on the back foot. But can he win this twin political and legal battle?

MR: Sharif is playing both ways. He wants to show he is brave by facing the courts but attacks them in a roundabout way. You have doubts that he can win this political and legal battle. So have I. He has to be held to account in a proper, legal way, ignoring the present misuse of State resources as VVIP protocol. Once he is handled, the other fat cats, waiting to see his fate, must face the same sword.

It is time Pakistan must use the State might to hold politicians accused of wrongdoing and financial malpractices to account. Nothing wrong in this, Sir.

The writer is a senior journalist. Twitter: @Ssehbai1

Published in Daily Times, September 29^th 2017.