Daily Times

It is the cricketing season so not using this game’s analogies is a hard task. The events unfolding on our national scene do not bode well for the continuation of a stable Government. The opposition is jubilant, bureaucracy is paralysed, TV anchors are having a field day and the nation is confused. It is time for saner counsel to prevent an upheaval based on a self-created crisis.

Who can understand the strengths and weaknesses of his players better than a captain? The selectors may have a role but the game is decided on the field. It is the captain who experiences the match up close. So why not let him decide who will lead his spin attack on the national and international arena?

Continuity could be a key consideration for PTI, but let us take a hypothetical situation. For a three-star general to qualify as the next Chief, according to tradition, he must have led a Corp for a meaningful period. It is interpreted as a year, give or take, according to those who know. Rest is simple math. It should be borne in mind that Army’s decision-making process is very deliberate. They are not known for knee-jerk reactions. The writing is on the wall for all to see.

This unnecessary standoff will not serve the nation. It has the potential of disrupting everything. The vagrants of Tehreek-e-Lubaik have started their shenanigans. Both PML(N) and PPP have heaved a huge sigh of relief. They sense fissures developing that could get them off the hook of accountability. It will completely distract the PTI Government from the real issues that will decide their fate in the next elections.

There is not enough blood left in the veins of the nation to survive another round of the leeches.

Thinking minds should bring the temperatures down. Pundits fed from the rich coffers of former corrupt rulers are already ballooning their next options. “Minus One” is their new mantra. Pakistan cannot endure a return of heavy-duty looters. There is not enough blood left in the veins of the nation to survive another round of the leeches. Why facilitate that by not resolving the issue that is front and centre of this uncalled for controversy?

Let us step back a few years. PM IK was able to wrestle and break the gridlock of the two most corrupt and self-serving parties for two reasons. The electorate had bought into his promise of change and reform. The nation was upbeat to see a brighter future. It was facilitated by the Establishment and Judiciary. They understood that unless appropriate steps were taken, we were on the edge of a sharp precipice that could prove fatal for the nation.

Many issues remain unresolved for PM IK that need focused attention. I had recently written that PTI’s biggest political foe is food inflation. Commodity and oil prices have jumped through the roof globally. A reality that we have to live with. However, when it is coupled with ruthless profiteering, it becomes a national calamity. I had proposed some bold and decisive administrative measures to slay the dragon of hoarders and unscrupulous traders. Relief for the common man is the eye of the storm that needs to be diffused immediately.

Add to that the poor governance in Punjab. The albatross around PTI’s neck of CM Buzdar is a total disaster waiting to unhinge the party’s support base. Insisting that a mule will turn a stallion is living in a fool’s paradise. Radical changes are the need of the hour.

These bottlenecks are paving the way for a comeback by the “Dad and Daughter” combine. Those who have lived through the successive regimes of Nawaz Sharif are fully aware that in each round the level of corruption increased drastically. Why would it be different this time?

Their biggest bane is accountability. A process moving at a snail’s pace. With tons of incriminating evidence on record, the focus has to be centred on speeding up the process. With the perceived fracture within Political Government and Establishment, this effort will disappear from the scene. So many hopes and dreams will be shattered like broken glass.

What concerns me the most is the disillusionment of the younger generation who have given PTI their all. They forced their elders to vote for PTI. Will they be left standing in the face of this edifice of lies?

Add to that the population explosion in our country that is largely unattended. It is creating a huge imbalance between demand and supply. Feeding, educating and eventually employing millions of new mouths are becoming impossible within the resources available.

“Aggression is the best defence,” is a famous quote from Chairman Mao. However brute force alone does not solve matters. Aggression needs to be tempered with quick thinking and a watchful eye. Cricket commentators often use the term “well left” preventing a disastrous shot.

So much rides on the shoulders of PM IK. Since Ayub Khan, he has emerged as the first leader that has turned a limping, disoriented economy in the correct direction. He is viewed around the globe as a leader who has taken a stand for what is right for his nation. His “no more” in response to “do more” reverberates all over. What are the options for replacing him? Time-tested crooks known for eating their own people’s flesh?

Settling this seismic shudder amicably is owed to the nation by all parties. History will not forgive anyone who overplays his hand.

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