Is it a “Do Less” Scenario that we are witnessing?
This is in direct contrast with the “Do More” scenario we have been acquainted with. The “Do More” mantra was used as a matter of rule by the Bush administration to push General Pervez Musharraf towards ‘no-holds-barred’ action against all kinds of Taliban including those engaged in the war of liberation from the occupation forces in Afghanistan. Though General Musharraf did his best to oblige his friends in Washington, yet he was found ‘wanting’, and was effectively destabilized— leading to the eventual induction of Zardari Sahib in the power structure of Pakistan. Memogate wasn’t a fantasy of anyone’s imagination.
The Do More ‘mantra’ continues to be used habitually by the Americans— and recently Obama has advised Mian Nawaz Sharif to ‘Do More’ to oblige ‘not Washington’ but Prime Minister Modi of India.
We all know how ready MNS is to listen to Obama on this point. He infact invited Modi to his grand daughter’s marriage in Raiwind to assure Obama that he was prepared to go to any length.
This ‘Do Less’ mantra is an invention of Zardari Sahib’s mind. He has been urging the GHQ to stop interfering in the affairs of Sindh’s democratically elected government, and start Doing Less and Less in the cause of fighting terrorism, and terrorism-friendly corruption in his area of authority.
Quite understandably MNS too has huge reservations regarding any proposal or move on the part of the Military to extend its campaign against terrorism as well as corruption to the other provinces— especially Punjab.
It seems the ‘Do Less’ mantra in this respect is working.
Not only has the Rangers’ operation in Karachi slowed down considerably due to non-cooperation on the part of the Sindh government (not without some secret understanding between the two greatest beneficiaries of the culture of corruption) but also has compelled General Raheel Sharif to announce pre-maturely his resolve not to seek extension.
The million dollar question in the minds of most people is: Is the highly popular Army Chief a part of this Do Less scenario?