Daily Times

It looks like the end of the road for a man whose career has spanned more than three decades. As for his daughter, her political journey may be over before it had a chance to fully begin. All that remains is a younger brother who may or may not be equipped to carry forward the Sharif dynasty name when the country casts its vote in under three weeks.

That being said, the verdict was to be expected. Even if the sentences were not: 10 years for Nawaz Sharif and seven for Maryam. Both have the right to appeal. But the damage may already have been done in terms of the PMLN’s electoral fortunes. For although the thrice-elected Prime Minister had been disqualified for life — his daughter was being groomed as the heir apparent. Indeed, Maryam Nawaz had earned a reputation as a crowd puller in her own right. Then there was the added bonus of having a woman as the face of the party for a new generation.

But this being Pakistan, anything could happen.

The PTI is snapping at the heels in the traditional Sharif stronghold of the Punjab. Be that as it may, the PMLN may just be able to swing the sympathy vote; albeit by the smallest of margins. But even this depends on one factor alone. Namely, will Nawaz return home to face the music? Be that as it may, the question boils down to this: is he ready to sacrifice himself for his party or the other way around?

One thing is clear. Pakistan today stands a changed country.

Polarisation remains between those who believe the ousting of a sitting PM over corruption represents democracy’s triumph. And those who see this as a blow to due process which remains central to the idea of a democracy. The truth is likely somewhere in between. And there are lessons for the entire political leadership to take on board. Such as, defiance against erstwhile masters always comes at a cost. This is something that Imran Khan would do well to bear in mind. For this ‘victory’ does not belong to him. After all, he has not experienced large-scale and engineered election rigging. Yet the PPP is not gloating but talking in hushed whispers of a witch-hunt.

The take-away from Nawaz’s fall from grace is this: politicians must kick the habit of relying on middle-men as a fast-track to power. It is, after all, bad for the long-term democratic health of the country. Thus the only route to the top must come from the support of respective vote banks and constituents; thereby placing ideology at the heart of the ballot.

This is not to say that the removal of Nawaz Sharif has not endangered democracy. The truth is that the timing and politicising of the references against him has certainly lent credence to claims of an undue and flawed process. Moving forward, Pakistan must do better to safeguard the system. Including empowering the media to fulfil its mandate of free and fair reporting without peril.

In short, Nawaz’s legacy rests in so crudely exposing the inflated cost of political engineering that the country can never afford in the long-term.  *

Published in Daily Times, July 7^th 2018.