Daily Times

Growing up in the sixties, spending winters in Lyallpur was part of the family routine; we used to move there from Abbottabad. From the strict regime of Irish Priests of Burn Hall to pure rustic scene of Sant Singh Wala on the outskirts of the City used to be like entering another world. The family orchards were filled with different kinds of fruits mostly leased to the contractors. A cat and mouse game of pinching oranges would begin soon after all the cousins descended.

The patriarch of the family, uncle Majeed Khan, was responsible to keep the youngsters engaged and prevent us from getting embroiled in mischief. Taya Laboo was a permanent fixture who had moved with the family from Hoshiarpur at partition. Short in height and of slight built, the man possessed agility and strength of Superman. Taya was known to carry a 100kg wheat bag on his shoulders holding it with one hand. He was very athletic and master of a classic game known as “gatka”, the South Asian version of Taekwondo. One day Uncle Majeed decreed that all the four cousins were to learn “gatka” from Taya Laboo so family tradition continues.

There was no argument in days of joint families, only to obey, which we reluctantly did. I was relatively taller amongst us with a longer reach. Within a couple of weeks, I actually started to enjoy the game with all its subtlety and deftness. Taya would narrate the history of the game and the philosophy behind various moves. Contrary to what we had read in Maoist teachings stating “aggression is the best defense” this centuries old art promoted the concept “defense is the best aggression”. Conflicting views that I still ponder about, however the underlying thought does carry some weight. You can only be aggressive if you defend yourself and survive.

The aggressive posturing by Maryam of “slapping the face” of the Speaker with resignations came to naught. Imminent fall of government in January proved another false alarm

These thoughts came to mind when I was mulling over the political scene unwinding in the country these days. We have PTI and its allies on one side and all the opposition parties on the other. PM IK must be an existential threat to his opponents to have unified mortal enemies like PPP and PML (N) with JUI (F) hanging somewhere in the middle. Other components of PDM like ANP are regional parties whose turf has been taken over by PTI.

What separates the two sides? It can be a daunting task to filter facts from twenty versions floating around simultaneously. After removing the chaff from the wheat and getting rid of all the static clouding the airwaves, the answer is quite simple. PTI is open to discuss everything except accountability and PDM will discuss nothing except ending accountability. All the other add on causes of PDM like inflation, selected government, incompetence and inexperience are window dressings that the masses have seen through. It is evident from the results of recent by-elections.

Central Punjab was the bastion of PML (N). Despite inflation and lackluster PTI leadership in Punjab, their voters’ lead has sharply depleted. Nowshera fiasco for PTI was caused by pettiness and greed within its ranks which unfortunately is in abundant supply. The Daska encounter has confused PML (N). They have shifted positions from seeking re-polling in 20 stations to a complete re-election. The unfortunate loss of life at the hands of their goons has further complicated the scene.

The real issue is whether open bribery can be prevented at the highest forums of governance? If not what are the chances of reform? Nil I would assert.

To discern facts from fiction we need to revisit the emergence of PDM. It gained momentum in November as a proxy for Nawaz Sharif via Maryam Nawaz with Maulana Fazal providing the umbrella. PPP joined the bandwagon to stay relevant. PDM’s stance was decidedly hawkish and anti-establishment.

Maryam grabbed the centre stage claiming “Now or Never” to unseat the Government. They relied on masses joining in great numbers which never materialized. Lahore jalsa exposed PDM’s narrow public appeal. This was followed by threat of mass resignations to bring down the government. The aggressive posturing by Maryam of “slapping the face” of the Speaker with resignations came to naught. Imminent fall of government in January proved another false alarm.

That is when Zardari factor kicked in. PPP got off the resignation bandwagon with Bilawal leaving the final decision to his CEC. Gradually Maryam’s leadership role started to hemorrhage. Her aggressive blabber was without teeth and her importance wilted as she emerged as papa’s errand gal without realizing ground realities. Zardari changed PDM’s strategy from attempting to overthrow the regime through street power to a game of political manipulation. He is a master at it. Putting up Gillani is a test case whose victory could lead to an in house change and Zardari is calling the shots.

The Battle Royale has begun. Efforts are afoot to bribe and buyoff. March 3rd will decide whether the accountability dies a death and looters prevail or will PM IK survive yet another challenge. Will he gain the requisite strength in Senate to push through meaningful legislation to reform Pakistan? Let there be no confusion this grande finale will determine whether we go back to the dark ages of loot, plunder and rule of jungle or PM IK moves ahead in his struggle to bring change to the nation. The scales could tilt either way through Supreme Court’s ruling in favor of virtue or continued damnation.

The writer is the director of CERF, a non-profit, charitable organisation in Canada