Editorial The ominous signals There are ominous signals for the country due to the bloated egos of the leaders. The government has refused to accept Tahirul Qadri\s initial two demands vis-à-vis registration of FIR against 21 including ministers and government functionaries, and resignation of Chief Minister of Punjab Shahbaz Sharif. Qadri said that after acceptance of two demands, he would negotiate with the government on other demands. The government did not trust Qadri, and believed that after his two demands are met, he would insist on dissolution of assemblies and wrapping of the entire system. There is a perception that the government wanted to buy time for another day so that it could file an appeal against the verdict of Lahore High Court upholding the Session Judge\s order to register the FIR with regard to police action near Minhajul Quran at Model Town Lahore in which 12 people were killed and scored injured. Prime Minister has been consulting leaders of the other parties that had supported the resolution favouring government stance in the National Assembly. But actions and later statements of the PPP and the MQM leaders are at odds with the spirit of the resolution. The PPP and MQM are suggesting to the government to give sacrifice to save the system, and want Chief Minister of Punjab should resign to alleviate the concerns of Tahirul Qadri about use of CM\s influence in the investigation process. The countries inimical to Pakistan must be happy over the situation prevailing in the country. If police action is taken against the protestors in case they move towards the Parliament or Prime Minister House, the situation will spin out of control. The government should realize that resolutions by the National Assembly and the Senate would not strengthen his government, and some of the parties that supported the resolution could take a U-turn and leave him in a lurch. So far, the US stands by the PML-N government and has put its weight behind Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Last week, the United States said Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was constitutionally elected, and that Washington does not support any extra-constitutional changes to the democratic system. State Department Deputy spokesperson Marie Harf had brushed aside the suggestion of regime change. \I in no way am calling on that\, she responded, when questioned if the US is calling for Nawaz to step down. \We support the constitutional and electoral process in Pakistan\, the spokesperson said at the daily briefing. Of course, Nawaz Sharif is duly elected prime minister of Pakistan, and maintaining relations with the elected government and support by the US is quite normal. But the problem is that American ambassadors and consular officers have had the reputation of going beyond their mandate, but they had special interest in Pakistan. There is a widespread perception that the CIA is funding some political activists, media men and NGOs with a view to advancing its interests. Many political leaders of Pakistan in the past considered American ambassadors as their \family members\, and discussed with them even their personal matters. They wished to remain in the good books of the US ambassador, and of course America, as they believed that they could enter the corridors of power with the blessings and support of the US and would continue to work at its pleasure. A US Consul General of Lahore in the past had relations with the intellectual elite and media men, which made it convenient to approach writers and journalists that were ready to sell their souls. But it should be borne in mind that the US has been supporting kings and dictators like Shah of Iran, former president Suharto of Indonesia and former president of Egypt Hosnie Mubarak, but issued a one liner statement that people had turned against him and the US has respects the aspirations of the people. Meanwhile, Sindh Governor Dr. Ishratul Ebad Khan, who represented the government panel for talks with the PAT leader Tahirul Qadri, said all the legitimate demands of the PAT and its supporters should be fulfilled in accordance with the law and constitution. He added that so far Altaf Hussain had managed to remain patient but warned that today\s development may push him to the limit where the MQM chief may have to choose to stand with the protesters. There is an indication that MQM may start dharnas in Karachi, which can further complicate the situation.
Posted on: Fri, 29 Aug 2014 05:27:33 +0000
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