B L Saraf
Within a week’s time, Pakistan will go through the motions of electing a regular Prime Minister. As per available indications the election process is going to be a one horse race; in as much as the other horse, tipped to cross the goal post first, has been tamed well in advance. Former Pakistan Prime Minster Imran Khan, relatively a preferred choice for the top post, has been sentenced to ten years imprisonment by a court in what is called the Cipher Case. Khan is said to have made public a confidential Cable sent to him by Pakistan Ambassador to the USA. Along with him, his Foreign Minister Shah Mohammed Qureshi, also, is in the jail for similar term, on similar charge. Khan already stands debarred from contesting the election .To ensure that his truncated party, PTI, doesn’t’ remain in a serious contest its election symbol cricket bat has been frozen.
We are witnessing a repeat performance of 2018, however, with role reversal. In July 2018 the then PM, Nawaz Sharief went to jail on corruption charges based on Panama Papers leak. He had earned General Bajwa’s displeasure and had to pay the price of losing PM post and subsequent living in exile, till last year. Imran Khan was the blue eyed boy and favorite of Army which managed his rise to the chair, though his party PTI was short of numbers in the National Assembly. No wonder many in Pakistan called him a ‘selected’ rather than an’ elected ‘PM. Today, in 2024, Imran is at the receiving end of the General Asim Munir, present Pak Army Chief. Nawaz Sharief is the favorite and decks have been cleared for his, off and on, coronation to the Pak throne. Once again a talk of’ selection’ rather than an’ election’ is in Pakistan’s political air.
Earlier , in year 2022 Imran Khan was sent to the jail after a local court, in Lahore , sentenced him to three years in prison and payment of fine of Rs I lakh for illegally selling state gifts . In addition, he stood disqualified for six years to hold any elected office in Pakistan. Imran is the sixth Pak sitting PM to fall prey to the judicial intervention. Before him , Hussein Suhrawardhy , Zulfikar Ali Bhutoo , Benazir Bhutoo, Nawaz Sharif and Yusuf Raza Geelani were dethroned by the courts and some sent to the jail. This is for the third time in two years that a court has administered bitter medicine to Imran Khan. In April 2022 , five member bench of Pakistan Supreme Court struck down as unconstitutional the order of the Deputy Speaker throwing out the motion of no -confidence moved against him, in Pakistan National Assembly (PNA).
The united opposition had moved no -confidence motion against Imran led Government and when it came up for consideration the Deputy Speaker, who was in chair that day, rejected the motion on the ground that it was against the national interest. To ward off the threat to his Government , Imran Khan raised the plea of nationalism and accused foreign powers of playing ‘regime change ‘ game and of destabilizing the country by ‘sponsoring ‘ a no trust motion against him . Well, this happens to be a standard and off repeated argument, put forward by the Governments in South Asian countries whenever they face people’s genuine ire for their highhandedness and bad governance.
Pakistan Supreme Court has long history of being a facilitator for the rulers and endorsed their all actions, particularly those initiated by or taken at the behest of Pakistan Army. It started with the invention of ” Doctrine of Necessity ” in 1950s and was again applied to the former Pakistan PM Z A Bhutto’s trial , in late 1970s, which eventually led to passing of death sentence for him . Mohammad Munir, Chief Justice of Pakistan from 1954 – 1960, introduced the concept of “Doctrine Of Necessity “to validate dismissal of Khwaja Nazimidin Government by the Governor -General Gulam Mohammed in 1953. With the passage of time “Doctrine of necessity “has been used by the Pakistan Superior Judiciary to validate the military coups. (Wikipedia)
Pak Army has always been a significant player in deciding who should rule the country. After Imran’s fall from the grace in 2022, Ahmad Rashid a well known Pakistani author and columnist told a Indian news portal that for variety of reasons Gen Bajwa was not happy with Imran. He said that Bajwa believed that all pending disputes with India- including Kashmir – must be resolved through talks. Imran, however, couldn’t come out of his narrow hard-line religious agenda.
Imran has only himself to blame. Pakistan watchers hold that his blow hot blow cold attitude towards local and foreign policy issues and alternating between liberalism and religious hardness, together , with his failure to manage the country’s dwindling economy landed Imran Khan and Pakistan in present crisis. Today, Imran and his well wishers complain of the victimhood perpetrated on them by the system. May be so, but they must be aware that this very system catapulted Imran Khan to the chair of Prime Minister of Pakistan, in 2018. It is the tragedy that Imran Khan , an English educated person , groomed in a Western- emancipated conditions and an ace cricketer, could be so bigoted / fundamentalist and one-dimensional in behaviour when it came to his governance of Pakistan . It has been the bane of Pakistan politics, played by the politicians, that has brought the country to the prevailing administrative and economic abyss.
It is for the people of Pakistani and the persons in charge there to decide who should rule them. For India, Nawaz Sharief could be the best bet to deal with. Because, he is business man at his core who would like to engage with India on business terms. So, his approach towards this country may be more transactional than a hardened political one. Subject, however, to the limit Army Generals may grant him in this regard.
(The author is former Principal District and Sessions Judge)
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