Dr. Javed Kazmi
What can we say of a politician who has the backing of 11 out of 12 political parties in the parliament? Must be a man basking in wisdom and political acumen. It, unfortunately, is not so. General perception is that he is a failed leader. And this can happen only in Pakistan.
When Mr Sharief had started off a year and a half ago, now it seems quite a distant time, he had all the ingredients to put in place a good, responsible government. He bungled like a bluffer.
From the beginning, quite in line with his psyche and style, he relied on a clique that had no rival to its myopic reticence and cartel-prejudice. Open and frank his acolytes never were to win the confidence of their electorate who felt stranded, nay cast off.
Political obituary of Sharief brothers will not be complete without mentioning their Kingly style of governance which, in ordinary circumstances, would have called for an awe and inspiration in the die hard, self-effacing and self-sacrificing workers of the party. However, workers too have mundane affairs to deal with, hence the disillusion.
When his erstwhile friend and patron Dr. Tahirul Qadri highlighted challenges of survival an ordinary person faced in the length and breadth of the country nobody in the echelons of power seemed to care a bit. He was considered as a nondescript Mullah with limited following prone to talk at the top of his voice.
Arrogance is the product of ignorance and incompetence. Coupled with cliquish style of governance the deadly cocktail was in order before Dr. Qadri and Imran Khan could step in to augment the deterioration process.
About the good governance of the younger Sharief in the Punjab less said the better. The man is par excellent at dragging people’s attention to his showpiece work as distraction. He poodles around Punjab with benevolent Media battalions to register his presence among people, even at places where his absence would have been greatly appreciated.
Regular floods in July and August catch him on the hop and rains in September make him leap out of his skin. This Khademe Aala ‘greatest servant’ of the Punjab visits a rape victim five months ago and promises the aggrieved family instant justice as their shame is augmented in the glare of camera lights and exposure at international level of their suffering. Four months later heartbroken and forlorn the rape victim commits suicide as influential culprits are released honourably.
His former Law Minister, Rana Sanaullaha, one is always amazed at his unbounded cheekiness, comes out in public telling that flood commission report of 2010 was wrong so that its recommendations could not be implemented. However, after some probing from Media, the very next day he comes out with details that the Punjab government took the report seriously and implemented all its recommendations. A very bad cover up which only a very insensitive person could do. Without being overly perturbed the CM is busy playing his old pranks.
There is no doubt that this is from God, even an agnostic can perceive this. Despite all the regular thrashing which Imran Khan and Dr. Qadri are giving, Mr. Nawaz Sharief is not so unlucky. This time he has got the opposition leader who is more devoted, supportive and loyal to the Leader of the House than his own ministers. Protracted agony of this scale is either a punishment from God or a trial from the Almighty to improve devotee’s caliber.
Everyone seems to be running in competition to sacrifice himself at the altar of Nawaz’s loyalty. However, this is unlikely that Khurshid Shah should not fear NAB cases against him and as regards Mahmood Achakezai and Maulana Fazlul Rehman one can say ‘’ Faithless is he that says farewell when the road darkens.’’ Mr. Achakeszai is satisfied with his brother’s governorship and seven very close relatives’ flight to higher echelons of power.
Likewise, it is not wise to expect of Maulana Fazalul Rehman to leave his three ministries, a ministerial level chairmanship of Kashmir Committee, and the diesel business out. His euphemism ‘Maulana diesel’ is so palatable to all and sundry that without him being around a lot of fun would be taken out the political farce.
Information
When Mr Sharief had started off a year and a half ago, now it seems quite a distant time, he had all the ingredients to put in place a good, responsible government. He bungled like a bluffer. From the beginning, quite in line with his psyche and style, he relied on a clique that had no rival to its myopic reticence and cartel-prejudice. Open and frank his acolytes never were to win the confidence of their electorate who felt stranded, nay cast off.
Appeared in Suiteio on Sep. 26, 2014