Articles of the year 2009

The court proceedings of Wednesday with the verdict removing the Sharif Brothers from the political landscape came as a rude shock to the Pakistani people here and abroad. Though not entirely unexpected the Supreme Court decision has opened another front for an already beleaguered Pakistan. With the Maulanas Sufi and Fazlullah basking in the glory of their triumph in Swat, the sudden turmoil in Lahore, the premier city and capitol of Punjab makes for very tempting waters for them to fish in. With a spectacular gain in Swat, the militants are in a serious bid to take advantage of the disarray of the secular force. Their prayers have been answered. The destruction of the posters of their hated nemesis Benazir, and Zulfikar Ali Bhutto were seen as the destruction of secular, and modernist enemies of the Islamic parties.

The political climate in Pakistan, with two of the four provinces under the influence of militants should have raised concerns in the centre to handle the Punjab very carefully, and indeed the prime minister did create a rapport of mutual comfort between Shabaz Sharif and himself. So when the Supreme Court decision came he could honestly claim it was outside his knowledge. The disappointment was writ large on the face of the PM showing he had done his best, and the verdict was not in the country's interest.

More dangerous is the old maxim: "Justice must be seen to be have been done." Here the people have been convinced that the verdict was written elsewhere and not in the Supreme Court.

It is now for the prime minister to use his considerable Multani charm to bring the Sharif brothers back into the political mainstream. It is vital that the two leadership of the two major parties should work with a spirit of accommodation.

The Sharif Brothers command a formidable following throughout the Punjab, and to underestimate the depth of this loyalty under their command would be foolish. The jiyala dancing to hey jamalo is all very well, but this gusto should not for a moment take away from the power of the Sharifs. This is also not the time to put this power to the test. They have proved their numbers in the election and deserve their turn to bat. What is equally puzzling is the mistrust that has been instilled in the minds of the PPP leadership.

The financial cost to the nation has only just begun, and I feel for poor Shaukat Tarin - our finance minister - who must have been caught in the middle of his delicate negotiations with the World Bank with the breaking news of mobs on the rampage from home. So much for the projection of Pakistan as a safe haven for investors. This loss cannot be calculated yet.

Meanwhile the Q league is busy negotiating their own terms, and we can be sure their pound of flesh will not come cheap.

How will the PPP spin doctors push the story that it was an independent Supreme Court bench that delivered this verdict, when a news channel has stated that this was discussed at a high level with officials in the US three days before the verdict on a 'what if' basis. This would have a disastrous effect on the image of the judiciary in US officialdom.

Why is it that in Pakistan the two main parties invariably take the matters to such a pitch that Article 58(2)(b) is invoked. By Ghulam Ishaq Khan, and by Farooq Leghari, and twice at gunpoint. In the present scenario the mutterings of these bloody civilians are being heard. If these conditions continue then the army will have no option but to step in again.

In this instance 'why' has all this come about? When the president is in place comfortably ensconced, with no threat from any quarter. The assemblies are functioning, then how did these phantoms suddenly appear to threaten the entire political structure of Pakistan.

The army may not choose to step in themselves, but the power at their command gives them many other options. So both antagonists should carefully re-consider their positions.