Daily Times

The politics is the game of possibilities. Wise politicians leave some points of compromise. Heading into a dead end is antithesis to political sagacity and reflects a mindset of ‘now or never’. We have experienced this umpteen times in our short history. The result has always been distressing with a long spell of unconstitutional rule. Our struggle for the restoration of democracy or tolerant civilian rule has always overlooked certain essential democratic norms and invariably ushered us in a cul-de-sac. Nations have progressively developed into democratic societies learning from their trials and tribulations. We never learnt from our mistakes.

No democracy is conceived without the legitimate role of the opposition; supremacy of the Parliament; independence of judiciary; a transparent process of accountability; freedom of media; respect for the constitutional mandate of the state institutions; devolution of powers up to the third tier of government and above all, development of a democratic culture within the political parties. Measured by this yardstick, all our political parties who have been in power will cut a sorry figure given their dismal record.

The people, while putting up with a corrupt and oligarchic rule over long years, feel some kind of slavish bond with the architects of the system or develop a fear to go against it. It becomes a daunting challenge to break this slavish bond with -or the fear of – the system. Alena Ledeneva, a political analyst and writer has identified this self-perpetuating system of rule by a riddle-like term ‘Sistema’ which she elaborates as a practice that relies heavily on unwritten codes and practical norms. Elaborating further, she says, Sistema enjoys unlimited access to all natural resources – public or private – with a kind of permanent state of emergency in which every level of society – business, social and ethnic groups, powerful clans, even criminal gangs and mafias – is drafted into solving what rulers label as urgent state problems.

This is the last battle between the perpetrators and opponents of the accursed Sistema. The future of the country lies in the defeat of the Sistema

This Sistema is already well entrenched in many countries including Russia, the former Soviet Republics in Europe, Central and Caucasian regions, Africa and Arab countries. We have also been through it having our Abid Boxers, Butts, Anwaars, Rehman Dakaits, Uzair Baluchs, Charyas and Kaan Katas. In such a system, the coffers of the rulers keep inflating and the poverty and powerlessness of the ruled leapfrogging. This is all done as a service to democracy, public safety and security of the state. They think they are holy cows; democracy to them is only the vote count; state institutions are their courtesans. They are bound by no law. The law is for lowly creatures. For the first time since 1970, we have a new crop of rulers who assumed power through election supervised by international monitors. They have daunting difficulties in breaking the resignation to – and slavish bond with – the Sistema which has taken deep roots over years. The perpetrators of Sistema have now come out to forge an alliance to dislodge the current two-year old regime. They see the democracy, economy, rule of law, civilian supremacy and state institutions in peril. This alliance needs to be examined somewhat in detail.

The driving force behind the alliance is the leader of Pakistan Muslim League (N), Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif. The Sharifs, with the exception of Musharraf period, have been mostly in powersince 1982. The senior Sharif was elected thrice as the Prime Minister of Pakistan. The younger brother has been ruling the roost in Punjab since the day Nawaz Sharif moved up as Prime Minister. He lost his government every time by picking up fights with the Presidents, Chiefs of Army and Chief Justice of Pakistan.

This time, he was brought down by the international disclosure of Panama scandals in which he topped the list of the corrupt leaders in the world. The Supreme Court disqualified him for life to hold any public office. Later, he was sentenced too in two corruption cases by the trial court along with his daughter. His party narrowly lost the general elections of 2018 in the center and Punjab. The extended family of Sharifs had already fled to London. He followed the suite leaving behind Maryam Nawaz, Shahbaz Sharif and Hamza Shahbaz. The heir apparent is on bail, and Shahbaz and Hamza are behind bars on corruption charges.

For some time, the Sharif tried a two-track political strategy – putting up a defiant face in the public – and seeking reprieve in corruption cases from behind-the- scene. This did not work out well leaving no other option for the Sharifs other than a desperate political brinkmanship of ‘do or die’. They have unfortunatelylost everything -power, dignity, honour and home. They have nothing more to lose.

For the first time, the JUI leader Moulana Fazal Rehman is out of power, and feels threatened in his political citadel – KPK by a formidable adversary. His stake in the system is confined to a few seats in the provincial Assemblies of KPK and Baluchistan and National Assembly. He had become politically irrelevant. The bleak chances he has had to regain his political influence in his home province in the future were disturbing him. He has found some political relevance in PDM.

The PPP has greater stakes in the system. It is ruling in the province of Sindh enjoying all the concomitant dividends. The PPP leadership knows their political dividends in Punjab, KPK and Baluchistan will be peripheral even if the PTI regime is dislodged in the center and Punjab. To them, Sharifs have been politically more lethal than Prime Minister Imran Khan. Most of the cases against Asif Ali Zardari were instituted during the PML (N) rule. They have no hope of reviving PPP in Punjab in the presence of Sharifs. Therefore, the PPP would not be willing for the political suicide by resigning from the Assemblies.

This is the last battle between the perpetrators and opponents of the accursed Sistema. The future of the country lies in the defeat of the Sistema.

The author was a member of the Foreign Service of Pakistan and he has authored two books