Daily Times

Given that Pakistan did not qualify for the FIFA World Cup 2018, there was never any chance of football coming home. But Nawaz Sharif did return. To Lahore. He arrived with his daughter Maryam; who has also been sentenced. Given the obstructions, PMLN workers could not reach the airport to give the elder Sharif the hero’s welcome he had been hoping for. Indeed, hundreds of party workers have detained across the Punjab this during the week. Then there is the not un-small matter of mobile phone and internet service providers being jammed for most of the day. And, leaving nothing to chance, the city was in virtual lock-down.

Thus the question remains: was all this to-do worth it? After all, the thrice-elected Prime Minister and his heir apparent — daughter Maryam — had come back voluntarily. Not only that, in an apparent break with tradition, the elder Sharif this time around enjoys no get-out-of-jail guarantees from any foreign nation. Meaning that he has well and truly recast himself as the only man who can; save Pakistan, that is. Indeed, it is a beguiling message. A former head of government who has fallen prey to an evident ‘witch-hunt’ has the wherewithal to return and face the music. Something that a certain former military strongman still fails to do.

In short, this could be the making of Nawaz. For this smart manoeuvre comes with a narrative that he is sacrificing himself for his party; for democracy. And to some extent, it has worked. Even his political rivals have rallied to his side. Or, rather, tweeted against the extensive crackdown. PPP co-Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari asked why workers were being arrested and why Lahore was under siege. This sentiment was echoed by others from the top PPP leadership; with former Sindh Information minister Sharjeel Inam Memon going as far as expressing grave reservations about the treatment meted out to the PMLN supremo. In fact, certain quarters from within the PTI camp noted the right of party workers to freedom of assembly. Only Imran Khan refused to play ball.

All of which means that Pakistan’s politicians are — albeit rather belatedly -looking at the bigger picture. Perhaps they have finally understood that if they do not stand together for democracy then they all fall down. In fact, this recognition is the only means for democratic forces to counter the machinations undertaken by unelected institutions that set the rules of the game for civilian conduct and authority. Indeed, Nawaz’s fall was not possible without the support of his rivals; not to mention taming of the media. We hope that political parties will learn a lesson or two from the recent turbulence.

And in the interim, while father and daughter have been taken to Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail — Imran Khan should know that they are down. Not out. *

Published in Daily Times, July 14^th 2018.