ZAHEER-UD-DIN BABAR
Mark Twain once said: “Politicians and diapers must be changed often, and for the same reason.”
The recent videos featuring Maryam Nawaz is once again a reminder that Pakistani politics have yet to mature. The former Prime Minister’s daughter has recently become an aggressive leader of the PLM-N yet she seems to forget even recent events. In recent years, with the contents of the telephonic conversation(called the Justice Qayyum tapes) between Justice Qayyum and PMLN politician Shahbaz Sharif becoming public, it is clear that the PMLN tried to bribe the judges in order to prevent them from ruining the party’s reputation. The question that arises is that how can the leaders hope to make the judiciary strong and independent whilst they themselves try to corrupt and bribe it? To prevent the public losing faith in the judiciary system, the PPP and PMLN must inform the nation about the steps taken towards making the judiciary fair. However, this seems unlikely considering the fact that the majority of the politicians blame this “system” when unfavorable events occur. In the latest developments concerning Maryam Nawaz , every sensible Pakistani knows that Maryam Nawaz’s “struggle” is only to get her father out of prison and not for “the rule of law” as she herself defines it. In fact, the Sharif Family, having spent 35 years in politics, have consistently shown how “sincere” they are towards the people of Pakistan. The numerous businesses controlled by the Sharif Family are clear indication that the motto of this elite class is to acquire as much wealth as possible. It is unfortunate that our political class do not want to change the status quo to favor the majority of people in Pakistan . Many critics have argued that the prominent leaders are only after their personal benefit and have not proven their sincerity towards progress and prosperity for the country.
Observers have commented that the Islamabad High court’s request to the Law Ministry to remove accountability Court Judge Arshad Malik is a very significant development. When pointed out, judgeArshad Malik’s affidavit submitted to the Islamabad High Court denied the contents of the video and termed them as edited fabricated with the purpose to defame him.
The Law Minister BarristerFaroghNaseem has raised important questions in his press conference concerning the punishment for attempting to bribe or threaten the judges.Some observers believe that cases could soon be registered in coming days against Maryam Nawaz, Nasir Butt and their supporters for threatening and bribing the judges. Meanwhile, the 3 member bench of the Honorable Supreme Court headed by the Chief Justice of Pakistan has been fix for hearing video scandal on 16th july . In addition, on the political front , the relations between the government and the opposition are worsening day by day, with the recent no confidence motion against the chairman senate being a clear example.
Thus, in conclusion, we can clearly say the political situation is still unpredictable. The PTI’s supporters believe that, as a prime minister, Imran Khan should complete his 5 year term. On the other side however, the opposition wants him out as soon as possible. In addition, the fragile economic conditions of the country leads some observers to think that the country cannot afford election right now or in the near future. Thus, for the sake of political stability, they are of the view that Imran Khan should be allowed to complete his term and hopefully fulfill his promises to bring economic prosperity to the country and indeed make a “Naya” Pakistan.
