It’s a stalemate
Since opposition parties gathering in Islamabad and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s no-holds-barred speech, there has been virtually a political storm in the country which at least for now is not subsiding. Before the All Parties’ Conference (APC), few were thinking the opposition could offer something new since this was not their first gathering. Previous such huddles ended in rhetoric with little impact on the incumbent government. The latest APC assumed greater significance and became a major political event when PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari invited three-time former PM Nawaz Sharif to address the APC. He soon confirmed Nawaz’s participation, prompting guessing games as to what he would be going to offer.
The government, meanwhile, initially indicated it would not let the ‘fugitive’ and ‘convicted’ leader’s address be broadcast by mainstream media. The opposition, however, had alternative arrangement in place, in the form of social media platforms. On the day of the APC, when Nawaz joined the opposition gathering through video link, his image soon started appearing on all private news channels. An hour-long speech went without any censorship, barring on couple of occasions where some channels pressed the mute button. Rest, his diatribe against the establishment went without any censorship. This was certainly surprising. His supporters were jubilant that their leader broke his silence and called a spade a spade. The government, meanwhile, found nothing new in his speech. Its ministers appeared at a news conference the very next day with Asad Umar telling reporters how his speech was splashed by Indian newspapers. He implied that Nawaz was only serving the interests of Pakistan’s enemy by targeting the state institution.
It is, however, important to mention that the establishment did not formally respond to the allegations levelled by Nawaz and the APC declaration. Instead, Railways Minister Shaikh Rashid revealed the details of an in-camera meeting between the military leadership and opposition leaders only four days before the APC. Rashid’s deliberate leaks were meant to highlight the hypocrisy of the opposition leaders, who criticize the establishment but at the same time meet the military leadership secretly. The opposition leaders who attended the meeting reacted strongly and pointed out that the meeting was convened to discuss the Gilgit-Baltistan issue. What added to the heat was the revelation by the DG ISPR that senior PML-N leader Muhammad Zubair twice met the Army Chief — first in August and then in September. Zubair confirmed those interactions but denied that the meetings were meant to seek any relief from the military leadership. The controversy did not end there. Nawaz, who had just a day before the APC joined Twitter, used the social media platform to announce that in future no PML-N leader, either individual or otherwise, would meet the military leadership or officials. If there was a need of any such meeting on issues of national security that would be allowed only with the permission of the party leadership and would not be a secret interaction.
These developments highlight the brewing political crisis in the country. The issues that were earlier restricted to drawing room discussions have now come out in the public. The silver lining in this high-stake drama is that this may lead to a grand dialogue involving all stakeholders.
Lt General (retd) Naeem Khalid Lodhi told The Review that all institutions, including establishment, judiciary, NAB, parliament and media, have become controversial; and that there is a stalemate, a situation in which Pakistan cannot move forward. According to the former defence minister, this crisis warrants a national dialogue.
Published in The Express Tribune, Septe0mber 28th, 2020.
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