Ever since his disqualification through a controversial court verdict, former PM Nawaz Sharif and his party members have been busy in doing a massive campaign. They believe that Mr Sharif was wronged and the verdict that removed him was based on a very narrow interpretation of law. They claim that they have been victimised by the Supreme Court.
It is an established fact and rule that courts and their verdicts have to be respected unconditionally. Keeping the sacredness of law and constitution intact ensures the unity of nation. The constitution and legal edifice is a source of strength for judiciary. Their existence is essential for the consolidation of state.
The politicians, on the other hand, do not have any such backing. They derive their strength from the people. They often cross limits and resort to verbal onslaught in their charged public speeches and rallies. The main intention behind this is to garner more attention by being rhetoric and poetic.
Mr. Sharif, along with his daughter and party members, have been using TV, social media and public rallies to repeat his claims of being ill-treated and to play the victimhood card, and he has been very successful in selling his narrative.
Mr Sharif, along with his daughter and party members, has been successfully using electronic media, social media and rallies to repeat his claims of being ill-treated and to play the victim card
A lot has happened and many extraordinary events have taken place after Nawaz Sharif’s dismissal; the rumours about a technocrat government taking place, Qadri’s re-entry in the scene, and a no-confidence vote in Balochistan’s assembly, all of this has allowed the incumbent government to make claims of some grand conspiracy.
You may call it transgression, paranoia or at times borderline contempt.
To narrow it down, the former PM wants to stay relevant and garner sympathy by playing a victim. The political leaders often take liberties, because everything they say or do is meant to extract political mileage. Mr Sharif and his respected daughter have been extremely critical of the current judiciary. At times, their second and third tier leaders have uttered some really crude, unpleasant and in one particular case, downright threatening remarks. There can be no justification or defence for such language. Mr Hashmi was rightly summoned for contempt of court and fined and sentenced with some prison time. The politicians thrive on incarceration as it adds value to their pitch of victimhood.
The Honourable Chief Justice at various professional forums has expressed his opinions about the highly charged political cases. He expressed his opinions about democracy, the rule of law, the role of an independent judiciary and certain other clarifications. The electronic media transmits the information and the talking heads on the tube try to extract a political angle out of such utterances.
One sincerely wishes that Mr. Sharif now takes a deep breath and let go of his anger and pain about his dismissal. He has repeatedly stated that he has some secrets buried in his chest. He will share those secrets with his voters, one fine day. Well Mr Sharif, as the saying goes, in politics the timing really matters. If those secrets were so damaging, then the time of such revelations was right after your dismissal. At this point, it has lost its significance. If you decide to ever pen your memoirs, please save those secrets for the history. The electorate has heard your sob story over and over again. It is time to move away from this issue and focus on the positives and your potential legacy. Because there are other pressing issues besides the term of a Prime Minister.
The Honourable Chief Justice has decided to focus on a number of things this year and focused on multiple matters of public interest. He has to leave a legacy for his followers as well who will be filling his shoes in the future. The admonishment of the politicians where needed is necessary. But one sincerely hopes that his focus remains strictly on dispensing justice. Let his judgements speak for themselves. Judges do retire, the politicians rarely do.
The writer is a Pakistani-US mortgage banker. He can be reached at [email protected]. TW @dasghar
Published in Daily Times, February 11th 2018.