Daily Times

Taking a jibe at the country’s military establishment, last week Maryam Nawaz said, ‘Dartay Hen Bandookon Walay Ek Nihatti Larki Say’ (Those who are armed are scared of an unarmed girl).

The words come from popular Urdu poet, Habib Jalib, who is known as the poet of the masses because of his leftist revolutionary thoughts.

Jalib had written that poem for Benazir Bhutto upon her return from exile in 1986. Many on social media took exception to Maryam using this stanza as if she compared herself with Benazir, which she later denied. Nevertheless, she must have felt that she was being penalised on flimsy grounds, because she had challenged the narrative of the two most dominant state institutions, which are getting more jittery day by day.

Getting back to the comparison, as the saying goes, “all comparisons are unjust”, we must not compare two people for they are the outcomes of their own backgrounds, experiences, and dispositions. Benazir had to be active in politics at an age when social media and the technological advantages which are available today didn’t exist. After her father’s arrest in a military coup, she was appointed to the party’s central working committee at the age of 24.

Four years later in 1981, she led the Movement for the Restoration of Democracy (MRD), an alliance of opposition parties for the restoration of democracy in the country. She was frequently arrested under Zia’s Martial Law before being exiled, following US pressure in 1984. Later, even after winning elections in 1988, she had to work with a hostile state establishment, and suffer personal and political setbacks during the two incomplete terms she had as the prime minister.

Maryam entered politics when she was a mature woman in her forties. She was inducted into the party’s central executive committee only this year. Certainly, her background is different from Benazir. Nevertheless, in the last couple of years she’s been instrumental in multiplying and organising the youth for the party.

Just last week, sitting beside her father, she spoke firmly about her decision to head back to Pakistan. This decision is unprecedented for Pakistani politics, where political and military leaders have always so desperately looked to flee the country on one pretext or the other, whenever it was obvious that a jail term awaited them

Over a short period of time, she has exhibited a charismatic personality as an astute young politician. Her successful canvassing for her mother Kulsoom Nawaz in a bye-election last year which she single handedly led, stood out. Her insistence on taking Nawaz Sharif to Lahore in a rally via GT road following his removal from the Prime Minister’s office last year also speaks volumes about her political acumen.

She seems clear headed about ideas of democracy, civilian supremacy and has her finger on the pulse of her party workers. The old guards of the party, such as Chaudhry Nisar, have been upset by her rise for they know she can completely transform Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

Maryam has great influence even without ever having held public office. It is obvious that after Nawaz Sharif, there is no one that can take charge like she can, not even Shehbaz Sharif.

Just last week, sitting beside her father, she spoke firmly about her decision to head back to Pakistan. This decision is unprecedented in Pakistani politics, where political and military leaders have always so desperately looked to flee the country on one pretext or the other, whenever it was obvious that a jail term of multiple years awaited them. Now when she’s coming with her father, key state institutions are unsure on how to deal with this political checkmate.

Upon her arrival and imprisonment along with her father Nawaz Sharif, Pakistan will witness increased political crackdowns on PML-N, its leaders and workers. The establishment might be able to deprive the party of its seats in the national and provincial assemblies to keep it out of power. However, the politics of the country will continue to revolve around the actions and reactions of this father-daughter duo.

Benazir gave strength to her father’s party after his tyrannical execution following a sham trial in a Kangaroo Court. Maryam will work for the same for PML-N.

If we are able to overcome our prejudices, we can celebrate how so many of our women stood on the right side of history, be it Fatima Jinnah, Nusrat Bhutto, Benazir Bhutto, Kulsoom Nawaz and now Maryam, by defying anti-democratic forces.

Let’s celebrate this.

The writer is a sociologist with an interest in history and politics. He tweets @ZulfiRao

Published in Daily Times, July 13^th 2018.