London Plan: myth or reality?

It all started with the revelation in September 1972 by Maulana Kausar Niazi, the then federal information minister and a close associate of prime minister ZA Bhutto, that the head of the National Awami Party, Khan Abdul Wali Khan; the chief minister of Balochistan, Sardar Ataullah Khan Mengal; and the finance minister of Balochistan, Ahmed Nawaz Bugti had a meeting in London with then prime minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. In this meeting a conspiracy was hatched to destabilise Pakistan by instigating the secession of Balochistan. Although, Mujibur Rahman and the Pakistani leaders alleged to be part of the so-called “London Plan” denied any such conspiracy, Bhutto used it as one of the pretexts to dismiss the government of Balochistan in February 1973.

In the summer of 2014, PTI Chairman Imran Khan and head of Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) Allama Tahirul Qadri met in London to plan a march and sit-in against Nawaz Sharif’s government. Their meeting was dubbed the “London Plan” to oust the PML-N government in the backdrop of the Model Town massacre of June 2014 and the alleged rigging in the 2013 general elections. Imran Khan denied that such a conspiracy was being hatched in London, but it was only after his meeting with Qadri that the final shape to a movement against the PML-N government was given. Finally, some days back, Nawaz Sharif, who is undergoing medical treatment, called his key party figures to London for a meeting with him and Shehbaz Sharif on the situation prevailing in Pakistan, particularly the one emanating from the issue of the COAS extension and the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC). In its verdict last week, the Supreme Court (SC) had granted Parliament six months to sort out the COAS extension issue, and the PML-N is urging the PTI government to take cognisance of the situation and resolve the matter amicably.

Since London is termed the hub of political intrigues and conspiracies that cause political instability in Pakistan, it reflects a sad reality that those supposed to provide political leadership to the country are themselves involved in pulling the strings from abroad. Is the London Plan a myth or a reality then, and how can the political leaders of Pakistan manage to assemble in London and plan to bring about change in their home country? Why is Pakistan’s politics being done in London and not in Pakistan?

There are three hard realities which subscribe to the notion of the London Plan. First, political leaders, whether from the opposition or the government, find it convenient to assemble in London to brainstorm on matters of national importance. There is no harm in political leaders entering into a discourse with each other but if Pakistani politics is done in London, it shows the politicians’ lack of confidence in their home constituency, particularly when under the prevailing circumstances there are no ostensible restrictions on the movement of opposition leaders or on holding consultations. If these political leaders consider London to be a suitable place to hatch conspiracies and formulate plans on issues pertaining to their country, then they are displaying a lack of ownership.

Second, a colonial mindset still prevails as far as the elites of Pakistan are concerned. Some of the political leaders belonging to mainstream political parties have family or properties in London which provide them an opportunity to meet in that city regardless of the expenses incurred. One can revert to the Charter of Democracy (COD) of 2006 which was signed in London by then PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto and then PML-N head Nawaz Sharif. Since both leaders were in exile they thought it appropriate to meet in London and summon their key party leaders to witness the signing of the COD. It is another story that once in power after the 2008 general elections, both the PPP and the PML-N accused each other of violating the charter’s terms and conditions. The Musharraf regime had criticised both the parties for “uniting in order to protect the looted money” by entering into an understanding in the name of democracy.

Third, the significance of the London plan is manifested from the fact that British authorities allow such activities to take place in their capital as they remain unaffected if overseas politicians with criminal records assemble to hatch conspiracies against their home countries.

The PML-N has long been in the business of holding loyalties elsewhere. An opposition party with more than 80 members in the National Assembly is not confident of holding important meetings in Pakistan. The pretext of visiting the ailing party leader is absurd because as a convicted person, Nawaz Sharif is not supposed to carry out political activities. Yet, the PML-N has miserably failed to learn any lessons from past debacles and intends to continue its age-old dynastic politics while expecting its party leaders and workers to adhere to the “darbari” culture. The imprudent approach of dealing with critical issues outside the country is nothing but political immaturity and opportunism which reflects poor leadership. More or less, same is the case with the PPP which used to have its meetings in Dubai when its co-chairman, Asif Ali Zardari, was living there and his party leaders used to take directions from him by visiting his place.

In its essence, the London Plan is not a myth but a reality as it has a historical basis reflecting a political culture of Pakistan which is dynastic, feudal and corrupt. Living in their comfort zones and palaces, the political elite of Pakistan expect people to give sacrifices for a cause which is hollow and devoid of any rationality. For them, going to London is like going from Karachi to Hyderabad as money is not a problem for them. But if the resources consumed for such meetings are used for the socio-economic uplift of the people of Pakistan, one can expect an improvement in the lifestyle of the common people.

As things stand today, episodes like the London Plan will continue to take place because the culture of accountability, integrity and responsibility is not to be seen as far as political elites are concerned. In this scenario both the PML-N and the PPP are to be held responsible for letting people down and not considering Pakistan suitable for political decision-making. For them, London or Dubai odyssey gives the political elite a break from the tense and crisis-ridden environment of Pakistan. But they forget that using foreign land to accomplish their power ambitions is nothing less than committing a crime against their own country. And it is not only the Pakistani political elite which is to be blamed, this is the culture across developing countries. Termed a safe haven for tax evaders and money launderers, the UK is a favourite destination for the rich of the global south where they can protect their ill-gotten resources and have the freedom to do politics related to their country of origin.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 13^th, 2019.

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