This time it was Mullah Mansoor’s death, which has exposed the government’s capabilities
LAHORE: The year 2016 has been a difficult one for Nawaz Sharif. It is the first time his party has been in government for three years. However, calls for his resignation never seem to die down. The first few months of the year was a period when the prime minister could have proved to the people that he had matured. It is often speculated on television talk shows that the Nawaz Sharif who came back to the country after living in exile for many years is a ‘changed man’. However, recent events point to the contrary. There were two main events, which could have proven that he had acquired all the ability required of a statesman.
Firstly, there was the disclosure of the Panama Papers, which completely exposed the fragile nature and the insecurities of the government. After some PML-N stalwarts tried to label it as a foreign conspiracy, the prime minister finally realised that he owed the people an explanation. But when he tried to explain his position in parliament, the move turned out to be a major disaster as it further damaged his credibility. The tragic story of the privatisation of his father’s factory did not appeal to anyone. Also, the prime minister’s minions began to shame the opposition, in particular, Imran Khan. From brutal attacks on Shaukat Khanum Hosptial to protesting outside his ex-wife’s house in London, the PML-N has basically shown that it can stoop to any level to defend its leader. In light of these events, it can be seen that Nawaz Sharif has still not acquired the art of de-escalating political confrontation. Any opposition is seen as contempt against His Highness and must be dealt with force — by that I mean the inanities of his ineffective social media cell. Had the prime minister learnt anything, he would have stopped his party members from needlessly shaming the opposition and should have initiated an impartial investigation. The government was further exposed when the chief justice slammed the ToRs that were forwarded to him and stated that these would result in a “toothless commission”.
As if all this wasn’t enough, little did the prime minister realise that another crisis was looming ahead. This time it was Mullah Mansoor’s death, which has exposed the government’s capabilities. Firstly, it took the Foreign Office more than 12 hours to even admit that a drone strike had taken place in Pakistani territory. Well, that is what happens when you do not have a full-time foreign minister. For more than 12 hours, there was silence from the government. No Pervaiz Rasheed, no PML-N social media wing, which is otherwise all too active when it comes to defending the offshore assets of the prime minister’s family. The silence was broken when the prime minister arrived in London and gave a statement regarding the drone attack. It seems as if the entire government becomes paralysed when the prime minister is abroad. All this speaks volumes of the unplanned and uncoordinated manner in which the government functions. It also exposes the weakness of the prime minister as a leader. It appears quite clear that the PML-N has learnt little from its previous stints in power and is continuing to commit the same mistakes that it has done in the past.
Momin bin Mohsin
Published in The Express Tribune, June 6th, 2016.
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