Dear All,

When you hear a Punjab minister holding forth about how terrible it is that a provincial government is challenging the Federation and how treasonous an act this may be, you cannot be blamed for smiling wryly and shaking your head in disbelief. After the 1988 elections, that was exactly what the Punjab government led by Nawaz Sharif was doing.

After Benazir Bhutto became prime minister, presiding over a coalition government, Sharif’s Punjab adopted a hostile stance in its dealings with the federal government. Sharif, who at that time was a protégé of the establishment, may have hoped it could deliver an electoral victory. However, that did not happen and Nawaz Sharif had to settle for the Punjab. He was offensive, obstructive and chauvinist. He made it so that the Punjab was almost at war with the Centre. So, it is ironic that Sharif’s party is now going on about a province confronting the central government. Of course, Pakistan’s political history is littered with such ironies.

As PML-N ministers repeatedly state that while peaceful protest is permitted, some of the recent protestors have acted like the country’s enemies, miscreants, terrorists, they seem to forget that they were once protestors themselves (for instance after Gen Musharraf deposed Nawaz Sharif). Of course, the regime at that time had viciously cracked down on them. The Peoples Party also seems to have forgotten about when its workers were protesting and faced a similar treatment at various times over the decades; after Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was deposed (by Gen Zia) and executed; during the Movement for the Restoration of Democracy; and during the Jam Sadiq Ali-Irfan Marwat years.

The whole thing is so surreal. The victim turns into oppressors. It must have to do with the intoxication of power. Once you are the king, you can go a bit mad. You actually start believing that a country cannot do without you, you are always right, you must be obeyed etc. Some rulers even believe that a hired mob or lots of Facebook followers signify that the people love you.

Then there are those who might not necessarily have a saviour complex but they just don’t want to give up the perks: the cars, the fawning courtiers, the free travel. Resigning over some principle, law etc would just be too inconvenient. So, convenience and opportunism trump principles and ethics. Even those in society who subscribe to the idea of parliamentary democracy, the rule of law etc seem to agree that that these principles should be applied selectively.

What are the people in a country supposed to do if they feel disenfranchised or persecuted? What can they do if the courts are used to harass them, they are denied legal redress and they are threatened; and to top it all, they are accused of being traitors and foreign agents.

Some people do snap out of their social and apolitical apathy and decide to be a part of the change; to participate in politics and legislation and walk the talk rather than do no more than complain. Many of them seem to end up in jails. Some of those in jails may be old, may have cancer, may have been in high office and may be blameless. Litigation is weaponised and used as a form of harassment to neutralise problematic politicians. These people are political prisoners. They may have been charged in dozens of cases but in essence it is harassment. This is, of course, the case in many countries all over the world, not just Pakistan. All those countries have one thing in common - the elephant in the room (and in this column).

But let’s focus for now on the irony of one-time victims now condoning the actions of tyrants.

Best wishes.

Umber Khairi