Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif landed in Islamabad on Sunday after ending his four years-long self-exile in London. The three-time Prime Minister and Patron Inchief of the PML-N marked his arrival with a historic political gathering at Minar-Pakistan Lahore. In the first go, the PML-N supremo addressed his thousands of supporters who reached Lahore from across the country to welcome and celebrate his arrival. Nawaz told his supporters that he had served the country with loyalty whenever he was given a chance. He had resolved the issues of Pakistan and never hesitated from any sacrifice. He regretted the false cases against him, PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif, the party’s vice president his daughter Maryam Nawaz and other party leaders. The former Prime Minister compared the current prices of common commodities, oil, wheat, sugar, fertilizers, gas, electricity bills and dollar exchange rate during his tenure in 2017 and vowed to bring those affluent days back once again. Mr Sharif termed good relations with neighbours vital for development and urged for the resolution of the Kashmir dispute through peaceful means.
The PML-N Supremo has made a landmark public comeback, after being written off from the political scene of the Country for a second time. Almost everything had changed for him over the past four years when he left the prison and emergency ward under tight security to get treatment from abroad, which was altogether different to yesterday’s massive protocol, high security and thousands of crowds waiting impatiently to hear his speech. The court was kind enough to grant him protective bail to appear at the next hearing instead of letting him go to resume his journey from where he departed abroad. Interestingly, the change of government not only altered the living conditions, political scenario and rules of the game but the law also transformed itself according to the needs of the accused or petitioners, the same affects the mood of the adjudicators.
As for politics, Mr Sharif has been convicted on two counts of corruption and is due to complete his 14-year term imprisonment in jail. The PML-N legal team has already filed appeals against his conviction and is currently hopeful of getting bail for the former Prime Minister after he surrenders before the court on Tuesday. Seemingly, all legal hurdles would be removed before the ECP announces dates for the election and PML-N Supremo would be ready to lead his party election campaign which could pave the way for his fourth term premiership. Realistically, all that is possible in today’s Pakistan, where courts and adjudicators issue and turn verdicts under the theory of necessity, and establishment solely decides the interest and fate of the nation. Historically, such unconstitutional conduct has brought the country to such a catastrophic situation, that national institutions are compelled to take remedy of their policies by untying the knot they fixed just years ago.
History has taken a new turn, by repeating itself after a pause of almost five years. The 240 million-strong nation is still in search of a Masiha/savoir, who could steer the country out of crises, rescue the dwindling economy and cure the chronic economic ailments of the country. Multiple strategies have been applied in the past together with multiple use of 58(2)B, and the launch of Project Imran to put the nation on the right track that leads toward political stability and economic growth, but all those experiments proved to be no less than disasters. In an apolitical mode, this nation witnessed the inauguration of Project Tareen which will bring istikam and sustainability in the long term while the return of Mr. Sharif seems to be a short-term measure to resolve the immediate economic glitch of the country. Interestingly, once most most-rated political group, the PTI and its top leader have met the same fate this time which the PML-N supremo went through before the previous election.
The current scenario is not only interesting but thought-provoking for all leaders, political groups, institutions as well as the public. This country belongs to 240 million Pakistanis, all are equally loyal, equally partortic, possess equal right to vote and have the freedom of electing a leader of their choice after a due period. Hence, the public mandate must be respected at all costs and no one has the right to derail a democratically elected government through illegal means including judicial activism or military dictatorships. Pakistan’s survival lies in the continuity of democracy, which will not only bring political stability but stimulate economic revival as well.
