Daily Times

After gathering reasonably large crowd in Gujranwala and Karachi at the formal beginning of protest movement, the eleven party alliance PDM is now making tall claims about early departure of the government. Traditionally, in our political culture the size of any public gathering like the recent ones and baseless lofty claimsremain at the center of all debates. This tendency hardly leaves any room to focus on serious national issues and hardships being faced by the public. What transpired so far out of twomega gatherings of the opposition for masses is nothing but more chaos, instability and disappointment.Credit for this undesired impact goes more to the government than opposition, which maintained its traditional non-serious approach in handling the political affairs. Ill planned response on part of the ruling regime enabled highly polarized PDM to gain a momentary edge. There can be no second opinion about it that price hike and inflation is badly damaging the reputation of the ruling party in public eyes. PDM made a cunning choice to exploit the public anxiety for settling the scores with rivals. Lofty but spiritless claims made for the well- being of masses were totally over-shadowed by the video link speech of Mr Nawaz Sharif in Gujranwala gathering. He directly aimed at the heads of state institutions by calling their names in traditional political controversies. This is nothing but dubious, meaningful and destructive approach especially once he himself is in UK on health related unprecedented bail as a convicted person. PPP and JUI-F leadership immediately disassociated their parties from unwise direct assault of Mr Sharif on state institutions. He was not allowed to address the Karachi gathering by the host PPP. Before the settling of Gujranwala speech’s dust,the talented son-in -law of Mr Sharif created an undesired scene by violating the sanctity of Quaid’s tomb. It turned worse with his mysterious arrest and prompt release on bail next day amidtop Sindh police officers’ synchronized protest leave requests. The Sindh, Centre and the state institutions are now dealing with the chaos and disorder created from the platform of PDM by the PML-N leadership. As far as rest of the PDM leadership is concerned, they are good with releasing stereo type press statements. Unfolding of the PDM’s real agenda so far is entirely in conflict with its stated objectives.As the saying goes ‘In politics shared hatreds always form the basis of friendships’. Three leading parties of the alliance, PPP, JUI-F and PML-N, have nothing in common except a grudge against PTI . PDM leadership is repeatedly questioning the credibility of general elections by narrating rigging mantra.

PDM chose a better time to ditch the government over governance, price hike and shortage of food items but it could not yet provide any solution to all these issues

Stance of the PPP on this very point of the rigging is extremely baseless. Why PPP is denying the credibility of that particular election which brought it to the throne of the Sindh third time. So is the case of PML-N and JUI-F, with a varying degree of contradiction, who continue to hold their parliamentary seats without any guilt or hesitation while having bundles of objections on electoral transparency. Leaving aside non-serious sentimental public speeches made from PDM’s stage, the only legal way to settle the electoral rigging complaints straightly leads to ECP. An elected government can only be sent backhome through specified constitutional ways ie No Confidence Motion or Dissolution of the National Assembly on PM’s advice. It is beyond any doubt that political gatherings, speeches, peaceful protests and processions are the constitutional rights of the opposition. However, tendency to exploit a constitutional right to press the unconstitutional demands must be curbed by the mainstream political parties. Rigging allegations and resignation demands from PDM top parties bear lesser credibility in the backdrop of their questionable track record on this same very issue against each other. It is no hidden secret that PPP’s Co-chairman Mr Asif Zardari and his aides kept blaming PML-N for rigging the 2013 elections through ROs. Similar accusations were made by both these parties against each other in late Eighties and early Nineties. Mr Sharif’s political rise in Zia martial law, questionable creation of IJI, hijacking of Muslim League’s leadership from late Muhammad Khan Junejo and persistent key role in derailing the democratic process make his political creditiontials unreliable. It will be unwise to expect a change of heart or revolution in offing after listening sermons on democracy and civil supremacy from old spoilers. While making tall claims about the supremacy of law and constitution, PDM leaders should think about the way Mr Sharif and his party managed to hoodwink the system over his health. Does law permit a convict to address public gatherings from abroad after violating health specific bail limits? This becomes more dubious once the convict drags the state institutions in inflammable political controversies on which his own record is much miserable than anybody else .Interestingly, PPP looked more unjustified in criticizing the PTI over governance once it proved absolutely a failure in governing the Karachi. Though, PDM chose a better time to ditch the government over governance, price hike and shortage of food items but it could not yet provide any solution to all these issues. Political debates are revolving around non-issues having no relevance to real problems of the public. Most obviously , UK stationed Mr Sharif is desperately urging army leadership to play unconstitutional role in dislodgement of recent government. Pakistan cannot afford such miserable statesmanship at a critical juncture when multiple internal and external challenges are looming over the country.

The writer is a freelance columnist and can be reached at sikandarnoorani @yahoo.com