Bushra Zafar |
The return of Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif symbolically redeems him of his sins committed years ago. Today, he becomes an antithesis of his own persona and ceases to be the pawn of establishment forces. He is a prisoner by choice and the captive Sharif, many believe he is politically more ferocious than Sharif in exile. He is a convert to a new political creed and his voice is heard within and the outer world. His shift from traditional politics to an ideological path got momentum after his exit from the Prime Minister House.
He incessantly speaks of an invisible hand that creates snags to derailing an independent democratic system in Pakistan. His advisers have also convinced him about his political charisma and the sway over the people. PML-N politics was born, bred and raised in the streets of Lahore. The political response and temperament of Lahorites have always been enigmatic for political analysts. They are boisterous but unpredictable in making decisions.
Elections are just round the corners and typical game of electable candidates and political adjustment philosophy have already taken a final shape. It’s time for PMLN to have an introspection and devise a policy for wading off conflict and mistrust.
They are vagrants like stock markets who become bullish or bearish merely on rumors and apprehensions. PML-N worker and voter, in particular, is not attuned to street politics and the lukewarm response in Lahore on the arrival of NS have exposed their political DNA that is still bourgeois like. The Nawaz Sharif’s call for people choice apparently emanates from his narcissism and self-delusion.
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He has not only annoyed power centres but also remained oblivious of other choices available to his traditional supporters. The right-wing organisation has traditionally been Nawaz Sharif’s strength but the hanging of Mumtaz Qadri forced them to explore other options. Civil bureaucracy that always acts as a silent balancer has been polarised under NS government. Majority of senior and seasoned civil servants remained wary and opposed to their style of service delivery.
The military bureaucracy instead of siding with the incumbent government preferred to flow of the tide as an ideal observer. The gripe and grouse of Nawaz Sharif about the conspiracy against his government by invisible hand is seemingly a conceited interpretation.
In the caretaker and neutral political set up, the section of civil servants are inclined to undermine their agenda. The tirade by PML-N frontline leadership against judiciary and judges has spawned unnecessary mistrust which continues to stifle their maneuverability. Furthermore, it is generally held that Sharifs’ are not accessible to their workers and parliamentarians. This sense of alienation had seriously lacerated the flesh and soul of PML-N.
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Amidst this palpable reality, the Pindi element maintained designed neutrality without disturbing the evolution of the democracy in the country. The emergence of the Panama story and a national consciousness against ill-begotten wealth changed the political slogan. The military bureaucracy instead of siding with the incumbent government preferred to flow of the tide as an ideal observer.
The gripe and grouse of Nawaz Sharif about the conspiracy against his government by the invisible hand is seemingly a conceited interpretation. Elections are just round the corners and a typical game of electable candidates and political adjustment philosophy have already taken a final shape. It’s time for PML-N to have an introspection and devise a policy for wading off conflict and mistrust.
Bushara Zafar is a Lahore based teacher and a social activist. She can be reached at zbushi@hotmail.com. The views expressed in this article are author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Global Village Space.