The apex court was continuously urged by some media anchors and political rivals of Nawaz Sharif to “just do it” during the Panama hearings. Those left high and dry by the Supreme Court judgment are now pinning their hopes on the joint investigation team (JIT) to rid them of Nawaz Sharif. With the focus of attention shifting towards the JIT in round two of the Panama scandal, are we going to see more mud slugging, name calling and public shaming?
It is worth recalling the interesting conversation between the Chief Justice Pakistan and the PTI chairman Imran Khan in a recent case hearing. The chief justice reminded Imran that everyone is bound to respect the courts and that included him. He further stated that minority judgments are given all over the world, but the public reaction to the dissenting notes of the two judges here is unprecedented. This was an obvious reference to Imran and the opposition’s attempts to present the minority opinion in the Panama verdict as the majority judgment.
The military, through its representative, also rubbished the whispering campaign started by Senator Aitzaz Ahsan and also reassured everyone of the impartiality of its members in the Panama leaks JIT.
Both are telltale signs of the immense pressure being felt by state institutions, whose representatives will further probe the prime minister.
These episodes were followed by a bizarre claim by Imran Khan that a close confidant of the Sharif family approached him with an offer often billion rupees to keep mum over the Panama scandal. He contended, “If an attempt can be made to bribe him, to what extent would the Sharif family have gone to buy out a judge or two in the Supreme Court bench who presided over the Panama judgment.”Politics is the art of the impossible, and clearly, Imran Khan is using his politics to stir a controversy in the SC’s majority order, even though the majority bench rejected what some legal experts deem as judicial adventurism in the minority ruling.
The legitimacy of the JIT is being made needlessly controversial with the main opposition parties indulging in petty politicking over the PM’s resignation rather than ensuring that justice is done in the Panama case. For now, Nawaz Sharif has clearly stated that he is not resigning and is up for the fight. His supporters contend that the Panama issue is not a struggle for enforcing the absolute rule of law in the country but a game of one-upmanship in a highly politicised issue. The overall result is a picture of perpetual instability.
There is a growing realisation within the PTI camp that it is a‘do or die’ for the party now. With the dharna politics yielding nothing significant, the party leadership went knocking at the doors of the court, expecting them to do what 200 million didn’t do for them, ie propel them into power. The Panama issue is seemingly their last battle cry, and with election year fast approaching, it would not be surprising if PTI becomes even more desperate. However, this time around, Imran stands little chance of external elements buoying his case as was allegedly the case some time back because there is an unwavering belief in the continuity of the political process amongst all state institutions.
The PML-N also knows that the JIT is also their last chance of ridding themselves of the Panama bogey before it dents them to the point of submission. The prime minister should be held accountable if he is found guilty of misappropriation and corruption by the JIT, but not in the court of Imran Khan or on the streets.
It is worth pondering over that if the PTI continues its modus operandi of publicly bashing state institutions like the ECP, NADRA, NAB, FIA and now the Supreme Court, will there be any institution or public office left by the next election, which comes out unscathed and does not lose the trust of the public? Panamagate threatens to undermine a majority of the state institutions by virtue of its agenda based mishandling, and it also draws attention away from the problems that besiege the common man, especially the twin crises of dire economic conditions and violent extremism.
The writer is a freelance columnist and professional services consultant based in Islamabad. He tweets @raj_omer