Nawaz Sharif has not learnt any lesson

Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif warned on Saturday that if polls were rigged then a storm would rise that would be difficult to tackle. Talking to the reporters in London, he referred to 1970 elections and break-off the country and said: “We have not learnt any lesson from mistakes” adding that all cannons are pointed at the PML-N. In January 2018, while addressing the lawyers at Punjab House, among other things he had said: “Former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Mujibur Rehman was not a rebel, but was made into one due to tragic consequences that followed the state’s refusal to allow a popularly elected leader to hold the prime minister’s office.” Historical evidence suggested that Sheikh Mujib-ur-Rehman was in liaison with India, and the latter had trained Mukti Bahini. And Indian leaders including current Prime Minister Narendera Modi had confessed having played role in disintegration of Pakistan.
From his narrative and statements it appears that despite exiles and ignominious incarceration of politicians in the past, no lessons seem to have been learnt. Since his disqualification in July 2017 by the Supreme Court, he started campaign against the judiciary, military establishment and other institutions. In his speeches Nawaz Sharif says that none of the prime ministers could complete his term due to establishment and judiciary’s alliance. He conveniently forgot that he has been instrumental in prime minister Benezir Bhutto’s ouster twice and had betrayed PML (J) leader Mohammad Khan Junejo, and later formed PML (N) with the blessings of then COAS and president General Zia-ul-Haq. In his second stint as prime minister, Mian Nawaz Sharif had charted the course to become a democratic dictator after passing of 13th and 14th amendment to the constitution. He managed to get the 15th amendment passed by the national assembly to make him Amir-ul-Momenin, rather a dictator. Continued on page 7
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But it could not be passed in the Senate due to lack of required majority. It goes without saying that those elected through democratic means do not have the right to introduce amendments to the constitution that negate the very concept of democracy. Anyhow, Nawaz Sharif made himself the most powerful civilian prime minister in Pakistan’s history with two-third majority in the national assembly. During his two stints as prime minister, he suppressed the dissent in his party; he saw to it that a crony got the slot of a president; still he weakened the presidency with constitutional amendment. He had ousted a Chief Justice of the Supreme Court; seen off army chief Jehangir Karamat simply for suggesting that there should be National Security Council. He was at logger heads with the other army chief, and was overthrown in a counter coup when he was about to dismiss and disgrace the third one.
All the problems are his own making, yet he tries to convince the people that he has been wronged by the judiciary and establishment. He continues asking questions as to why he had been disqualified. The court had listened to his litany that he was disqualified only for iqama and not on corruption charges. However, the court in its detailed judgment had stated: “He (Nawaz Sharif) tried to fool the people inside and outside Parliament. He even tried to fool the court without realising that ‘you can fool all the people for some of the time, some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time’, said the 23-page judgment. There is a perception that the problems were of his creation, as he had refused to form a commission under special legislation suggested by the opposition; and he also failed to agree over the terms of reference.
It is a matter of record that Mian Nawaz Sharif never conceded his election defeat with grace in 1988 elections. Even when he was trailing behind he tried to be prime minister through hobnobbing with the then President. Having failed in his attempt, he was content for a while with the top slot in the province of Punjab. As chief minister of Punjab he never accorded the then prime minister Benazir Bhutto the protocol which was due to her, which was against the established norms in a democratic dispensation. Not only that, he also made it sure that none of his ministers would receive her at the airport whenever she landed in provincial metropolis. It is because of his arrogance that he has lost his allies and many candidates who have returned the tickets and are in the field as independent candidates.