Raging political tension

There is need to reduce political tension in interest of the nation, and responsibility for that lies on both sides

As the political tug of war rages on in the country, the who’s who of the PML-N have been booked for “conspiring” against the country and state institutions. A case of sedition has been registered on the complaint of a citizen, named Badar Rasheed, at Lahore’s Shahdara police station against PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif for his “inflammatory” speeches from London and dozens of other leaders — including Maryam Nawaz, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Ahsan Iqbal, Rana Sanaullah, Pervez Rashid, Marriyum Aurangzeb and Ataullah Tarar — for participating in the party’s Central Executive Committee and Central Working Committee meetings held last week.

However, in an interesting turn of events, the federal government has distanced itself from the sedition case against the three-time former prime minister and his top aides. Ruling party leaders — including PM’s Special Assistant Shahbaz Gill, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Federal Minister Fawad Chaudhry and Punjab Information Minister Fayyaz Chohan — have responded to the move in words that essentially mean that their government does not favour treason cases against politicians. Besides, Human Rights Minister Shireen Mazari is already on record having called the sedition law “a black law” which “should be done away with, lest it blight this country’s future”.

The federal government’s stance is a wise one too. History is witness to the fact that a traitor label on political opponents has rather proved counter-productive. Our politicians would do this country a great service if they keep their political fights within the confines of moral principles. Rather than trying to knit state institutions into their political narrative in a bid to confuse the public opinion, opposition leaders should have the audacity to face the corruption charges brought against them and prove their innocence in the courts. The government, on the other hand, should avoid high-handed tactics in its handling of political rivals just because it has the state machinery at its disposal.

There is need to reduce political tension in the country in the interest of the nation, and the responsibility for that lies on both sides.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 7^th, 2020.

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