Daily Times

The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) rose to fame and sudden popularity in 2011 as an anti-status quo party. In the 2013 elections, it won the provincial government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and built up more support by breaking old traditions in the province, leading to an easy victory in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and a majority in the centre and Punjab in the 2018 elections. With the beginning of the federal innings, the party initially tried to stick to its competitive anti-status quo streak, making austerity, rule of law and across-the-board accountability its driving points. While the government has mainly kept to its austerity measures and occasional across-the-board accountability mantra, it often looks the other way when its own MNAs and MPAs break the rule of law. The lavish wedding of PTI MNA Farrukh Habib at a farmhouse in the suburbs of Lahore has been making the rounds in social and media circles. According to reports, Model Town Assistant Commissioner Zeeshan Ranjha with his team raided the farmhouse on reports of violation of the one-dish rule but only to get a rude welcome by the wedding guests, farmhouse owners and guards. It is unfortunate that officials doing their duty and ensuring the rule of law were insulted and manhandled. The team was ultimately forced to leave the venue. Though police reinforcement arrived on the call of the AC, by then the wedding was over. The police later arrested four of the alleged attackers, sealed the farmhouse and lodged a case against the suspects, including the farmhouse owners.

It has yet to be seen if the police will take any action against the MNA. The young legislator often appears in TV talk shows and delivers sermons to opponents about merit and sanctity of rule of law. People have started looking back to the era of former chief justice Saqib Nisar, who took note of flagrant abuse of power by a federal minister and a few MPAs and forced the government to throw the minister out of the cabinet. An MPA had to offer an unconditional apology for interfering in police matters. Back then such judicial activism was considered intrusive, but this time when the judiciary is showing restraint, it is the duty of the government to ensure such incidents do not take place. The MNA in question should come forward and explain his position. Similarly, the Punjab government should also show a strong resolve to implement the Marriage Act and other laws . *