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WHEN two parties to a conflict both declare victory, it’s usually a good thing. But in the aftermath of the Supreme Court intervention, both the PTI and PML-N are sulking, like two fighting schoolboys forced to shake hands by a grown up.
If the signs aren’t good, they are better than the possibly violent lockdown of Islamabad threatened by Imran Khan. However, the PTI chief is discovering that if you promise your supporters roast meat, but then offer them a vegetarian dinner at Thanksgiving Day, many will be disappointed.
As the Supreme Court begins its investigation of the allegations arising from the Panama leaks, Imran Khan is about to discover that the Sharifs are past masters of the art of obfuscation, delaying tactics and foot-dragging. When the scandal broke last April, I had warned that the whole business of a judicial commission was akin to kicking the ball into the tall grass.
Seven months later, the ball has been kicked into a thicket. The whole business of hammering out terms of reference acceptable to both sides is going to take some time, given that the parliamentary committee set up for the purpose could not resolve the issue over many months and many meetings.
And if the Supreme Court takes the task upon itself, it is bound to upset one side or another, leading to charges of bias. Although both parties have agreed to accept the formation of a judicial commission and its findings, don’t expect much sportsmanship from either side.
Don’t be surprised if Imran calls for another assault.
The stakes are too high for smiles and handshakes after the conclusion. Indeed, if the Supreme Court does attempt to cut this Gordian knot, it will be stepping into a situation fraught with danger to its own credibility. For one, as one judge observed, the court doesn’t have any Sherlock Holmes on its bench. Even that fictional detective would be hard pressed to untangle the bewildering money trail, offshore companies and property deeds involved. Some innocent pundits have suggested that it’s all a simple matter of asking for sources of earning, tax returns and the manner of transferring funds abroad.
Not so fast. Just watch the legal eagles on both sides parsing every phrase. The Sharifs are counting on the proceedings to drag out indefinitely, and Imran Khan is bound to get frustrated at the delays. While there has been talk of daily hearings, remember that ultimately, government agencies like the National Accountability Bureau, the tax authorities and the State Bank will have to dig for the information needed by the commission.
Going by their track record, don’t hold your breath while they toil away at their own pace. So don’t be surprised if Imran Khan gets impatient and calls for yet another assault on Islamabad. After all, he has a just cause, unquestionable charisma, an army of enthusiastic supporters armed with smartphones, and the wind in his sail.
What he lacks, however, is Nawaz Sharif’s deep knowledge of how the system works, and how to drag things out when he wants to. Shahbaz Sharif, the Punjab chief minister, is an effective administrator who has worked tirelessly to look after the interests of the PML-N’s Punjab constituency. Together, the brothers make a formidable team.
Having said all this, I do wish people would stick to their scripts. Here was I, set to chastise the government for its laxity in permitting a potentially violent protest to get out of hand. But the interior minister forestalled my criticism by his masterly handling of the situation.
Imran Khan has often expressed his admiration for British democracy; he has also repeatedly said that no democratic state uses strong-arm methods to crack down on peaceful protesters. But I can assure him that in the UK, demonstraters have to follow very tightly designated routes, and any threat of violence is immediately and firmly dealt with. Had the PTI leadership used the kind of incendiary rhetoric in London that we heard in Bani Gala, they would have found themselves in custody so fast it would have made their heads spin.
Fortunately, the protest has left us with some abiding images to remember it by. There was Sheikh Rashid, the portly leader of his one-man party, making a slow, laboured dash from his beleaguered Lal Haveli, and jumping on a motorbike. Then there was that entitled lady with a big stone in her hand, attacking a policewoman, and threatening her with dire consequences via her army relative. And we mustn’t forget the sight of Ali Amin Gandapur galloping over the hills near Bani Gala, abandoning his guards, their small arsenal, a few partridges and quail, and a bottle of Johnny Walker Double Black that was mysteriously transmuted into honey. I wonder if he can do the trick in reverse…
So here we are, once again in waiting mode. Meanwhile, the country’s deep-rooted problems of poverty, illiteracy and religious extremism continue to blight the lives of millions.
Published in Dawn November 5th, 2016
