Afghan Press author: Rooh-ul-Amin

The decision of Supreme Court led by Chief Justice Hameed Dogar, regarding the disqualification of ‘Sharif brothers’ once again threw Pakistan back into the worst politics of 90s.

Such a verdict of the Supreme Court was not unexpected and many political analysts and pundits from the very outset had feared that the coalition of Pakistan People Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) in Punjab and centre is shaky and fragile which soon will collapse. The prophecy of the pundits proved verbatim and the coalition fissured in the midway, hardly going for one year. For all the setbacks the coalition received, and its backlashes that have erupted after the court decision, PPP have lost its fame and weight it had received with the blood of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto. Irrespective of legal aspects, the decision of the court was politically as vitriolic for the colt-democracy in Pakistan as poison. After a great deal of efforts, sever opposition, and hues and cries against Musharraf’s dictatorship, at length he was bowed down and he had to resign, because of the mounting pressure from different flanks.

For restoration of democracy in Pakistan, only PPP is not praiseworthy, which lost its elegant leader—Benazir Bhutto, far greater in every respect than Zardari, rather it also is indebted to the lawyer moment, yes the same lawyer moment, which paved way for the entrance of self-exiled political leaders to come Pakistan. Now it is the same lawyer fraternity, which has been thrown away by Asif Ali Zardari, the president of Pakistan and widow of assassinated Benazir Bhutto, as discarded and used as stale food.

Is not the derogation of the wishes of Benazir Bhutto when she claimed, “Muhammad Iftikhar Chaudry is my Chief Justice”. Contrary to the wishes of his late wife, Asif Ali Zardari took a sharp u-turn and walked on branched road instead the main highway of democracy. Sensing the political heat in the political environment in Pakistan, PPP according to some news reports has prepared a list of political leaders to be arrested or kept confine to their residences during ‘long march’ so that the essence of the long march can be constrained. Such acts are the remnants of military dictators. In this regard Rehman Malik, Adviser to PM on Interior, has issued directives and the security in-and-around Islamabad has been tightened. Rangers would back police so that more and more arrests could be made possible. The country in such a scenario when inflation, stagflation, joblessness and the suicide bombings are at its peak, is not in the position to tolerate another challenge which is real in nature and disastrous that all is the new ones—the tug of war among PPP, civil societies and PML-N.

The government could have handled the issue of Sharif brothers’ disqualification some time else and in a better way than now. Nonetheless, sit-ins, demos and strikes are all colors of democracy and an elected government which has been boasting for its strength and fame will have to face it with open hands instead a fist. And why should then an elected government worry about it if it had and had the support of public? When the lawyer fraternity has given spleen and fierce opposition to the unconstitutional step of the former president Musharraf, then it must no be suppressed now from carrying its long march. For his brave and bold step, defying a military dictator, Muhammad Iftikhar Chaudry was awarded with Harvard’s Medal of Freedom previously awarded only to Nelson Mandela and Thorogood Marshall. While at home he was humiliated by Asif Ali Zardari imitating Musharraf. This step earned the wrath of public and made the lawyer moment ever popular.

By doing so, there is a torrent of doubts and questions for instance; is it a crime to demand for the restoration of unconstitutionally deposed Chief Justice, Iftikhar Chaudry? If the answer is no then why Asif Ali Zardari preferred Hameed Dogar to Chaudry Iftikhar? Is it because of nepotism or he wanted to use Dogar as a sword and shield?

Though PPP has been denying the allegations of PML-N and most of the masses that the decision had a political touch but still one cannot ignore the close links of Asif Ali Zardari and Dogar. The entire government machinery in Islamabad shook with the case of Farah Dogar’s numbers.

Why Asif Ali Zardari placed his own party’s fame in ‘salt mine’ by supporting Dogar? There is and was some thing black at the bottom.

Is it a sin to demand for the abolition of 17th Amendment, which has been introduced by Musharraf, a military dictator, only to embank his regime? The answer to this query is also that it is fair in democracy to demand for the abolition of such unconstitutional weapon. Why Asif Ali Zardari has adopted toxic silence over the issue and what is the difference between Musharraf and Zardari for he also had the power of 58 (2b) and Zardari has also. There is no difference between the two except the former was a military dictator and desecrated democracy and the latter is a civil dictator defiling democracy.

Does, the president feel fear of his own prime minister; Yousuf Raza Gillani that Zardari is obscuring the path of democracy by prolonging the issue of 17th Amendment?

Did Zardari come to power through unfair means? If the answer is no, then why he wants to keep this weapon at his hands?

It shows that he is not diligent and sincere in bringing healthy democracy to the country and because of this game; Pakistan went back to the stagnant politics of 90s.

Let me say it with out any hesitation that it is the tug-of-war among politicians that has always paved path for military interventions in past and in near future it can invite for this monster. After them comes the name of judiciary that has always bolstered up dictatorship by providing the ‘cloak of legitimacy’ to unconstitutional regimes of the past military dictators. The person who was a strong believer of ‘doctrine of necessity’ and allied the self-proclaimed Field Martial of Pakistan, Ayub Khan in his snapping of constitution, was then Chief Justice of Pakistan, Munir.

And now following the path of Munir, the Supreme Court of Pakistan-led by Chief Justice Hameed Dogar, passed the verdict of ‘Sharif brothers’ ineligibility.

According to the court decision, senior Sharif is ineligible to contest poles while junior Sharif is disqualified for holding any public office. The decision related with the disqualification of the junior Sharif itself has brought a big question mark on the face of Election Commission of Pakistan. If he was ineligible, why then Shehbaz Sharif was permitted by the Election Commission to contest in general elections from his constituency PP-48 Bhakkar-II.

Another question which badly is poisonous for the credibility of the government is that why Asif Ali Zardari ordered for governor rule in Punjab for the situation there was not so uncertain and out of control? Is not an intrigue against an elected provincial government? Then why to blame others that journalists are terrorists, civil societies are traitors, and PML-N has been engaged in conspiracies against PPP? By imposing the governor rule in Punjab flew out at us that it is PPP itself that wants to undermine its government.

For this service PPP has already extended the tenure of Chief Justice Hameed Dogar for two years so that it can block the way of deposed Chief Justice Chaudry Iftikhar. In case Hameed Dogar leaves the office, there was a chance and probability of Chaudry Iftikhar to come into office once again on his seniority bases. But Zardari is Zardari. He played well on all the fronts. He sidelined Ameen Fahim who was the senior most person of PPP and a reliable hand of Benazir Bhutto. With the tragic murder of Benazir Bhutto, the fame and importance of Ameen Faheem was also murdered. Mr. Yousuf Raza Gillani was placed in the office of prime ministership so that to devaluate Ameen Faheem, who could have made many problems for Asif Ali Zardari. He would have demanded for the parliamentary system of government unlike Yousuf Raza Gillani, who has surrendered to presidential form of government and now he merely is a puppet in the hands of Asif Ali Zardari. What Zia did with Muhammad Khan Junijo, his own introduced Prime Minister, and what Musharraf did with Mir Zafarullah Jamali, is before Yousuf Raza Gillani and he will never commit the blunder to stride for parliamentary form of government. Since the very day of his appearance on the political pulpit as Prime Minister of Pakistan, Yousuf Raza Gillani has been going through the agony of inferiority complex for he has been a pawn in the hands of Asif Ali Zardari. Once, Sir Winston Churchill was asked that whether England will win the war against Germany? Upon this question he asked the questioner that whether the courts in England are working impartially and honestly? The questioner replied in ‘yes’. Then he said this historic sentence “if our courts are working transparently and honestly nothing can defeat this nation”.

Unlike England and other free and independent nations and countries, here judiciary has been a tool to play with, and used against political opponents in almost all governments. It is the same judiciary which passed death sentence against PPP founder and elegant leader Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and allied then dictator Zia-ul-Haq. And now it is the same judiciary which has allied PPP against PML-N.

And once again the court decision and political dispersion has unhinged the political atmosphere in Pakistan that has prepared the grounds for another likely military coup. It seems that Pakistan is not familiar with democracy and it always has been very dear and heavy for the public.

After Munir, the judiciary has been used as a stilt for the military regimes. Ayub Khan, the first dictator, Yahya Khan, Zia-ul-Haq, and Musharraf, all the four military dictators came to power with abet of judiciary. Chaudry Iftikhar has been an accomplice for taking oath under Provisional Constitution Order (PCO) for two times but for third time he as an expiation of his past two sins stood as adamant rock in the path of stern Musharraf, and became champion of freedom.

PML-N, by demanding for the restoration of deposed judges, the abolition of 17th amendment, went in heights with flying colour whilst PPP came to the ground and smashed for its deceptive role.

PML-N had the support of private media in this fair game of restoration of free and transparent judiciary and it is the only reason that Asif Ali Zardari’s attitude has been becoming intolerant against the journalists.

The political atmosphere still is not that much worse if Zardari tries for rapprochement with PML-N lest the genie will come out of bottle with irreparable damage to the nation as it has endured four military coups partially because of political blunders and partially because of military quest for power politics.

The writer is a FATA-based freelance journalist.