Vicious cycle

That politics is an evolutionary process is an historical fact. That this evolution unfortunately seems to have bypassed Pakistan too is all-too-glaring. Over the years, despite sustained hope for change, Pakistan’s political landscape remains stagnant. When democracy returned in 2008, there was some conservative hope. The political class seemed to have learned some lessons. If there was a long march or Memogate, there was also the 18th Amendment. If there was a 2014 dharna, there was also the PPP as an opposition party standing side by side with the ruling PML-N so that democracy could not be derailed. It showed that the political class had matured and would not support being used against each other. If there was the Balochistan Assembly and Senate chairman elections in 2018, there was also the formation of the PDM and Gilani’s Senate victory. If the PTI government was putting its political leaders behind bars at the drop of a hat, there was also a joint opposition that came together to oust Khan despite their own falling out. And there was hope that, while the coalition government would face many challenges after taking over, it would focus on the economy and political healing. This was the message that a newly elected Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also gave to the people of Pakistan.

But like all good things must come to an end, the hope too may have fizzled out. In the current political goings-on – which are going full speed ahead despite a devastating humanitarian crisis that has taken nearly 900 lives – the PTI chair is facing case after case. In one of them, the terrorism case, Imran Khan has been granted interim bail till September 1. The other case – possibly much more robust as far as the basis for charges goes – the former prime minister is facing contempt charges for lashing out at a sitting female judge. Whether this will be treated as judicial contempt or criminal contempt will be ascertained by the IHC bench. Senior journalists have reported how the PTI is looking at the contempt proceedings rather leniently, implying the PTI does not think Imran did anything wrong.

Despite the PTI’s past and its politics, it is unfortunate that the coalition government, which had made many a speech against human rights violations and politically-motivated cases in the recent past, is resorting to tactics we have seen too many times before. During the PTI’s tenure, the PDM had earned the people’s goodwill because it was the victim of arbitrary arrests and political witch-hunts. Legal observers have pointed out how using terrorism laws this way goes against all democratic norms. And it seems legal observers are not alone in this: there are those in the ruling coalition who look rather despondent at what is going on. Instead of labelling speeches as terrorism, there are some legitimate cases against Khan which can be pursued per due process – the foreign funding case, the Toshakhana reference being two examples. These are trying times for the country and if the current misery being relayed on our TV screens and being hashtagged on social media won’t move the political class out of its petty politics, then nothing can. Encouragingly, Imran has decided to visit flood-affected areas while the government is also raising funds for its flood-relief efforts. What we need is a coming together of all to help the country’s people. Cases, politics and slogans can wait another day.