KARACHI: Dr Tahirul Qadri dropped in from the Canadian heaven to lead us to the promised land guided by those-who-cannot-be-named. The nation was enthralled by this latest messiah who would liberate us from the Yazid/62/63@dont-rock-the-gravy-train.org. Even before his tirade was over and the offended could begin screaming, he fraternally hugged every one of those he had come to offend. His face-saving retreat /victory became an embarrassing joke for many, pneumonia for some and pointless hyperventilation for us irrelevant mortals. Those-who-cannot-be-named have now regrouped and thrown another spanner in the works. It is interesting how some of our politico-legal veterans have suddenly woken up to the fact that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has been constituted in a manner that violates the Constitution. The Supreme Court, at least temporarily, has risen to the bait giving fresh impetus to Dr Qadri’s backers.
In this nation of holier-than-thou front-men, let us not be fooled by more finger-wagging, apoplectic demagoguery. The composition of the ECP can be solved within a week by the provinces, all of which loudly claim that democracy is indispensable. However, if they don’t take action, our pliant parliament, filled with the abovementioned very same stock, anxious to stem any further ‘breach of privilege’ and its attendant pleasures, will rubber stamp the new provincial ECP nominees into business within no time.
If the backers of Dr Qadri are really serious, then a reshuffling of the same worn pack of cards is pointless. Let them now find someone who, with malice towards all and none, can clean out the Augean Stables. We hear that at a recent press conference, Mr Abdul Sattar Edhi, apparently, has given some sage suggestions. Let us allow Dr Qadri to fade into his nurturing Canadian sunset till his next sunrise.
Dr Mervyn Hosein
Published in The Express Tribune, February 12th, 2013.
