Letter-gate probe call

The cable-communiqué from Washington which is being seen as the root-cause behind political discord in the country is making vibes. President Dr Arif Alvi has written to Supreme Court Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial to address this simmering issue, and see to it whether there was any foul play in it or not. And the best way to do so, according to Alvi, is to form a high-powered judicial commission that should go on to vet and investigate the contents of the letter. The head of state has suggested that the top judge should personally supervise the commission, and ensure that the open trial is in-depth and thorough in essence.

The suggestion from the President has come at a time when political polarisation in the country is at its peak, and the ousted PTI is gearing up for a march on the federal capital. The pivot of the demand is to launch a probe into the allegations of a conspiracy behind the dismissal of Imran Khan’s government at the behest of the United States. The PTI blames that the regime change was possible as there were ‘abettors’ on the political front. Whereas, political parties across the board believe that the change of government was a constitutional process, and there is no rat to smell. They also rubbish the claims that they were part of any international plan to show the door to Khan’s government. This war of narratives has literally unnerved the country, and has plunged it into extreme disorder.

The discretion now rests with the Chief Justice of Pakistan. It would be in good spirits if an independent commission under the apex court’s full bench is formed, and the letter-gate chronicle is revisited. What makes it necessary is that the top security body, the National Security Committee, has twice looked into it and confirmed the fact that the letter is a blatant interference in Pakistan’s internal affairs, and subsequently a demarche was served. Moreover, the sitting government too had hinted at investigating it on its own. Let’s put the revulsion to rest by probing it thoroughly, and that too by minutely listening and accommodating each and every aspect of the episode. Time to sit in judgment on the heels of a qualified probe.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 14^th, 2022.

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