WITH political temperatures soaring and opposition parties all set to kick off their public engagement campaign in a few days, Pakistan’s political landscape appears to be sliding back towards confrontation and conflict. PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif has upped the ante by delivering three back-to-back speeches criticising the security establishment for its involvement in politics. Prime Minister Imran Khan has retaliated by accusing Mr Sharif of serving Indian interests by critiquing the military. Members of the government and opposition have intensified mutual accusations and the streets may soon be witnessing heated political activity in what is threatening to be a zero-sum game.
Nawaz Sharif has raised some important points. His reference to the establishment’s direct and indirect involvement in politics for decades is nothing new. This is common knowledge and well-documented. What is new is a major political leader saying so publicly and emphatically. Mr Sharif may have his own reasons for raising this matter at this stage, but the fact is that the establishment’s role in politics has weakened Pakistan’s democratic structures and made it harder for political parties to grow and mature. It was hoped that with time Pakistan’s weak democratic institutions would grow in strength and confidence. However, the dilution of political power gained from the electorate has made these parties even more dependent on the establishment. Mr Sharif may have a personal angle in his anti-establishment positioning, but what he says must be given the weightage it deserves. The government is doing no service to democracy by responding to Mr Sharif’s critique with slander. By now, our politicians should have learnt from their mistakes and realised that calling each other ‘traitor’ and ‘Indian agent’ damages the system’s credibility, undercuts the effectiveness of political dialogue and shrinks the space for a viable working relationship inside and outside parliament. The PML-N and PPP had resorted to such mudslinging in the 1990s and had learnt the hard way; in the end they were net losers. The PTI has to climb a steep learning curve if it wants to traverse this distance.
The opposition parties have a right to protest on the streets as long as these rallies do not disturb law and order. However, if Mr Sharif really wants to show that he believes in the supremacy of the law, he must return to Pakistan and face the requirements of the law. He may have all the right things to say while sitting in London, but his words lose efficacy if he remains a fugitive. In the same vein, Prime Minister Imran Khan should ensure that his government does not resort to high-handed tactics against the protesting opposition. Saner minds must prevail. All concerned need to think beyond their personal and political interests and make sure the system is not put at stake. The establishment too should step back and maintain a distance from politics.
Macron’s views
OVER the past two decades, particularly in the aftermath of the 9/11 episode, there has been a flurry of political, intellectual and academic activity to try and make sense of the relationship between Islam and the West. Though this is not a monolithic, monochrome relationship and has a variety of shades, the actions of individuals acting in the name of Islam and perpetrating acts of terror in the West have fuelled the debate. French President Emmanuel Macron weighed in with his two cents on this sensitive issue while speaking in a town outside Paris on Friday. He was of the opinion that Islam is a “religion in crisis” across the world, while bemoaning French Muslims’ apparent lack of assimilation in the host country’s society. He talked of “Islamic separatism” and alleged that plans were afoot to create a “counter-society”. Interestingly, Mr Macron also pointed out that the problem of radicalisation was partly due to “ghettoisation”, in a reference to Muslim populations concentrated in French banlieues.
There is indeed a problem with radicalised Muslims who — swayed by atavistic ideologies — have perpetrated acts of violence in the Muslim world and beyond. However, the French president’s tone seemed to be heavily weighed down by the white man’s burden and the need to ‘fix’ Muslims and their faith. Radicalisation is a fairly modern phenomenon and has largely been fuelled by political and socioeconomic factors. While there can be no justification for violence, Western leaders often smugly lecture the Islamic world while ignoring their own role in creating and supporting the jihadi infrastructure, whether in Afghanistan to fight the Soviets, or more recently in Syria in an effort to dislodge Bashar al-Assad. In fact, France itself has been responsible for horrific crimes during its colonial occupation of Algeria; Paris has yet to apologise for these grim deeds despite an Algerian demand to do so. Indeed, the descendants of formerly colonised peoples often face difficulty integrating into Western societies due to the latent racism that lies not too far from the surface. And while local laws must be respected, preventing Muslims from expressing their religion, by banning the hijab, or fanning efforts in Europe to outlaw halal meat, sends the message that Muslims will only be accepted if they abandon their spiritual practices. Instead of lecturing Muslims, Western leaders need to show empathy, create opportunities and open avenues of dialogue with their Muslim populations to create national harmony.
Strange ‘solidarity’
THE PPP’s decision to hold a ‘Karachi Solidarity Rally’, even as its administration implements mini smart lockdowns in various parts of the city to curb the spread of Covid-19, is strange to say the least. This tit-for-tat rally, to be held today, is in response to an MQM-P demonstration held on Sept 25 that called for a ‘South Sindh province’ comprising Sindh’s urban areas. Meanwhile, in a separate rally held on Sept 27, the Jamaat-i-Islami too had jumped onto the bandwagon by announcing a countrywide solidarity day for Karachi on Oct 14. The JI also announced a three-day ‘referendum’ to highlight Karachi’s rights.
As the governing party, one would have expected better sense from the PPP. However, when the provincial education minister was asked if it was wise to hold a rally during the pandemic, he replied that hate was more dangerous than any virus. This statement by a politician who has been a strong advocate of protective measures and critical of several pandemic-related decisions of the federal government is no less than irresponsible. Not only does it play down the threat that rising Covid-19 cases pose to the public, it also undermines the provincial government’s own attempts at implementing mini lockdowns in virus hotspots in the city. Members of the PPP-led Sindh government have on several occasions criticised the federal government for its initial complacency and not taking sufficient protective measures. But if the party that had appeared firm in its resolve to curb the virus is now willing to dispense with caution by encouraging a large gathering in one of Karachi’s most populated areas for political reasons, then it makes a mockery of its position on lockdowns and protective measures. Though the minister stated that SOPs will be followed in the rally, he must be aware that such gatherings can easily turn into superspreaders. With the daily Covid-19 tally again going up, this is a risk that the PPP could have easily avoided.
