The blatant case of political expediency

ISLAMABAD:

The Supreme Court decision to overturn lifetime disqualification has not only paved the way for the political heavyweights to make a comeback in parliamentary politics but, apparently, set the rule for the future that political battles are best contested in the political arena even if one faces technical knockout for five years.

The reaction on top court’s ruling, which has opened the window for the ex-premier Nawaz Sharif, the chairman of the newly-formed Ishtehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP), Jahangir Khan Tareen, among others, to contest polls and return to Parliament, was divided as PML-N was jubilant but PTI felt that ‘convicted’ can but those booked in ‘false’ cases can’t contest polls.

Eminent scholar Professor Dr Hassan Askari while talking to The Express Tribune expressed that a lifetime ban or disqualifying someone from holding an elective office appeared unjust. The professor, however, said it wasn’t clear yet if anyone else other than Nawaz and Tareen would immediately benefit from the decision, saying PTI’s founding chairman Imran Khan might benefit a few years down the lane.

Not so long ago, Professor Askari recalled that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) pursued cases against Nawaz but, following his return to the country from London, it is the same anti-graft body which admitted before the courts that there was nothing against Nawaz with them.

“It raises the question if the earlier court decision were made in accordance with law or as per the political convenience back then,” Professor Askari said.

Referring to a pattern where one side starts getting relief while the other is punished after a certain period of time, the professor said that it seems that “it is less about legal, constitutional and principal of justice and more about political expediency for the time being.”

Usually, he said, politicians are not in favour of a lifetime ban, saying they should try to show their true potential in the political arena instead of knocking out their opponents on technical grounds.

Professor Tahir Naeem Malik of NUML University noted that the top court’s decision has provided relief to a few but it has once again exposed the system where one starts getting relief or vice versa if it’s decided. He, however, said that things are always different for elite and common citizens.

Surprisingly, Professor Malik recalled that the whole system, including courts and the judgments, create a scenario, saying moral and religious connotations are given; couplets and adages are narrated in legal documents; words like “Sicilian mafia” and “pity the nation” are used by judges and then everything is somehow forgotten. “They simply say that we overlooked and move on,” Malik said.

However, Professor Malik noted that Nawaz appeared to be a “lucky man” as he has always managed to make a comeback, saying one reason was that “politicians belonging to Punjab are more pragmatic and they agitate against the establishment to a certain extent and do not go beyond that limit.”

Malik said that Nawaz also knew when to agitate and when to stay silent, saying “It seems his silence has paid off”. However, he added, that ex-premier Imran Khan didn’t care if he was crossing any line and simultaneously opened too many fronts for himself.

Following the apex court’s decision pertaining to disqualification, Malik said a decision was also expected in Bhutto’s case as Monday’s decision has added extra pressure on the judiciary that some people are getting justice or relief in their lives while others have been waiting for decades.

Political reactions

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif labelled today's verdict as "historic" and declared the demise of the conspiracy aimed at disqualifying Nawaz Sharif for life through an "arbitrary interpretation of the Constitution."

"There is no longer any legal obstacle in the way of Nawaz Sharif to participate in the elections," he affirmed. Shehbaz further stated that if the PML-N leader were afforded another opportunity, he would steer the country towards a trajectory of development and prosperity.

Meanwhile, PML-N leader Marriyum Aurangzeb expressed that a "dark chapter" had concluded, contending that the lifelong disqualification was intended to subject Nawaz to political vendetta.

She elaborated, stating that the interpretation of Article 62(1)(f) had led Pakistan and its citizens into the quagmire of inflation, economic deterioration, and international shame.

Conversely, the PTI vehemently reacted to the SC’s decision, asserting that irrespective of Nawaz Sharif's qualification or disqualification, the electorate of Pakistan is poised to reject him in the upcoming February 8 election.

Taking to microblogging platform ‘X’, the PTI stated, “InshAllah, the people of Pakistan will reject Nawaz Sharif, along with all the privileges he presently enjoys. The nation has endured enough hardship due to the influence wielded by this favoured scion, Ladla Sharif!"

Characterising the court's decision as a regrettable departure from 'honouring the vote' to a state of being 'we are done,' PTI underscored its disapproval.

Furthermore, the party disseminated a video clip featuring Imran Khan, who emphasised that Pakistan's fundamental predicament lies in the absence of the rule of law.

Imran stressed that a just society requires equality before the law, bemoaning the prevailing scenario in the nation where significant wrongdoers often escape justice, thereby jeopardising the prosperity of great nations.