The Dharna and the Aftermath

The ‘dharna’ has come to an end. The innocent people misguided by the self-cantered fanatics have gone back to their homes. The residents of Rawalpindi and Islamabad have heaved a sigh of relief. The Government has wriggled out of the rigours of the dharna. But still we can’t say that all is well that ends well. All is not well. The dharna has left so many questions in our minds unanswered. Why the dharna was staged even when the Government had admitted its fault, apologised for that and reversed the legal order regarding the Halafnama? Why the Law Minister didn’t resign after his admittance that mistake was made though it was inadvertent and unintentional? Why were religious leaders allowed to block the whole area causing extreme inconvenience to the public? Why were the leaders not apprehended for hurling most disgusting and insulting abuses at their opponents, government and the tv anchors? Why was the police operation mishandled? Why the Court had to intervene? Why did the Army first refuse to constrain the agitating mob and then within hours sent a Major General to mediate between the government and the fanatics? And last but not the least in importance is the reaction of the Court. Why did the Court use strictest words ever used against the Army asking it under what law a Major General acted as a mediator?

The more we try to find out the answers to these questions, the more horrible picture of what may happen in near future appears in our mind. Scores of rumours are going round: the government deliberately changed the Halfnama in order to divert the attention of the public from Panama leaks to some more sensitive issue; the Ahmadiyya Jamat played its nefarious role to gain benefits from the current political situation; the PMLN manoeuvred all this drama in order to bring Army and the public face to face. But the most worrying rumour is that the dharna was the brainchild of the Army. Nawaz Sharif has always considered Army as a state within a state. He wants Army to stay away from civilian matters and act as subordinate to the civilian government. Army, on the other hand, think that the politicians are incapable of handling internal and especially the foreign affairs properly and in the better interest of the country. So they want a substantial and concrete role in the day to day working of the government. This, to Nawaz, is not acceptable. So Army want to weaken not only the Nawaz government but also all other significant political parties including PPP and PTI. They will not allow any party to gain two-third majority in the next parliament. A weak coalition government will properly serve their purpose – rule the country. To achieve this end they may bring back Musharf and gather around him the weak and vulnerable members from political parties like MQM, PSP, QML, NAP, JUI and Jamat e Islami.

Nawaz Sharif has got into hot water. Panama Leaks have become his scaffold۔ Zardari has been obliged and silenced by getting him declared ‘not guilty’ by the courts. Imran Khan has been deprived of the ‘empire’s finger’ twice because he is as arrogant and stubborn as Nawaz is – so not acceptable to the Army. What left behind is the scrap that can be moulded into any shape without much effort.