The media coverage of the arrival of the former president and Co-Chairman of PPP Asif Ali Zardari in Karachi last week, and his escorting to his residence on wheelchair, was very disturbing that unfolded the whole gruesome story as how far the PTI leadership had gone in the pursuit of political victimisation of the political opponents. What message about the government and its supporters must have been trickled down in the country in general and in the province of Sindh in particular? The game of throne had seemingly assumed the proportion of blood sport in which all would be losers and enemy of the country would have the last laugh. It gives enormous ache to the heart when the official gladiators were seen in no mood to get off the white horse to do the sobering politics. Their obstinacy may surely earn the retribution in equal measure to the collective chagrin of the nation.It was evident the former president must have undergone through the miserable conditions while under custody of the NAB for so long. Co-chairman was quite healthy at the time of arrest by NAB merely on basis of specious allegations. His arrest was in stark contrast to the maxim: one is innocent until proven guilty. Keeping in detention more than four months merely on the basis of allegations is kick in the face of due process of law and indeed travesty of the administration of justice under rotten system. For, the investigation agency failed to find evidence to file a reference against the co-chairman even after keeping him in custody for months. There is dire need to amend the NAB law that has earned the notoriety of ‘ Black Law’ due to its ruthless use against the political opponents by the ruling party. Late epiphany to amend the law may lead to the appropriate amendment to elude from the horrendous aftermaths of its wanton application. But, it is better to keep the finger cross keeping in view the hopeless track record of the government in the legislative business.Conspiracies theories are abound pointing to the phony quid pro quo resulting in the release of co-chairman PPP on bail by IHC last week. The PPP Secretary General Farhatullah Babar while answering the question has emphatically rejected such insinuations adding that the court has granted bail on merits of the case as he is also not a convict. The co-chairman’s health was critical according to the (PIM’s) doctors recommending his treatment could not measure up in the government hospital facilities. It would in the interest of the health of the former president if his medical treatment was undertaken by the doctors of his choice while staying outside the detention premises.The secretary general pointed out that former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was also released on bail by the court due to health conditions and therefore rumours making rounds were no more than the figment of the imagination of the perverted minds whose notoriety was legendry in creating confusion in the minds of the people. But they were bound to get frustrated because conspiracy theories could not stand the test of time and of truth. But, PPP struggle for democracy will stay on course till its attaining the cherished finality.For PPP democracy and constitutional rule are non-negotiable and are indeed article of faith of the party’s ideology. The PPP leadership and its workers have given their blood and waded through the untold sufferings in defending, restoring and promoting the constitutional rule in the country. Chairman Bilawal Bhutto has time and again repeated that resolve with warning that the government pressure tactics would not succeed in succumbing the PPP leadership and its workers to change the stance on national issues adding the PPP was used to stand up even more ferocious intimidation and strong arms tactics in the past. It had defeated the authoritarian and anti-democratic forces in the past and would not hesitate to do so in the present and indeed in the future no matter whatever is the cost. The PPP and its workers will spare no stone unturned in the pursuit of the accomplishment of its mission of-- ‘the fullest empowerment of the people of Pakistan’-- considering it as debt on them of ‘Great Bhuttos’.The chairman’s proclamation articulating unequivocal commitments in favour of people’s politics, reflective of the aspirations of the people of Pakistan, were very reassuring. The chairman during his media encounters recently has aptly made it known to all that PPP’s stance on the 18th Amendment, presidential form of government, parliamentary democracy, freedom of press, military courts, and above all Kashmir issue, would not change no matter what. It may be recalled that the sustained campaign was launched by the official and other quarters against the 18th Amendment and in favour of the presidential form of government in particular. But the resolute response against the drive led by the PPP chairman and the PPP workers squarely silenced such devilish advocacy to rest not to rear its ugly head again.Government’s array of failures to deliver hardly surprises many due to its dubious electoral credentials. The local and international media including the fair-minded political analysts, academia and human rights organisations in their news and views have alleged that the incumbent government as the result of the ‘political engineering ‘mired in arrests of the political opponents of the PTI, dragging them in frivolous cases and convictions, media censorship and state institutions forcing the electable to join the PTI or contest elections as independent candidates. The formation of Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) was the bare-knuckled attempt of the state institutions to defeat the PPP in the province of Sindh. It was different matter though that the (GDA) could not upstage the PPP in the province that emerged even with bigger majority.Defiance of the rules of the game may not bear desirable results even in exceptional circumstances. The prime minister’s seemingly presumptuous approach to defy the fundamentals of functioning democracy may be already brimming with pitfalls those may surely spell cascade of ravages on the lives of the people and the country generally. The witch-hunting of the political opponents has indeed weaken the political economy due to the political polarisation that has circumvented the government’s ability to deliver at the national and international level. The indicators on the national horizon are seemingly on the downward spiral, the common people are cursing the government that may turn out in violent protest in quick succession if it does not move fast enough to pacify the masses by providing them relief. Their anxiety and outrage are upping with every passing day because of the inferno of unprecedented inflation leading to runaway prices of the goods of common man basket.At the diplomatic level, the country needs a foreign policy supported by the whole nation and not just by the ruling party. The prevailing political disunity in the country may eclipse the government’s discretion to realise the full potentials of the foreign policy. The sad part is that the incumbent government is least interested to appreciate the imperative of paradigm shift towards the political unity, and is determined to tread on the narrative of get-it-alone to reinforce the regression all around.The opposition parties are totally disappointed of the ruling party and their demand of ‘in House Change’ may not sound misplaced after evaluating the performance of the government and drive of accountability. The ruling party’s resolve to eliminate the main political parties (PPP and PML-N)) through political victimisation may surely not come true. The ferocious dictators like General Ziaul Haq and General Musharraf could not finish them with all powers at their disposal .Negativity is bound to yield negative results paving the way to become the victim of the stranglehold of the same strategy.The possibility of in House change is not far-fetched cry in the face of the slim majority of the government in the National Assembly. The disgruntled coalition partners may be enough to rock the boat of the government. However, the PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto has recently rejected the in House change if it involves replacing the one selected prime minister with another selected prime minister. PPP will not support such change that is equating with falling from the fry pan into the fire. The in-House change must reflect the aspirations of the people that may be embodied in the formation of National government representing the formidable and significant the political forces of the country.muhammadshaheedi@yahoo.com
from The News International - National https://ift.tt/2qUvdfv
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