I fail to understand the criticism on Imran Khans call for civil disobedience , neither have I came across any objective criticism yet. Please enlighten me, someone. PTIs movement is based in the allegation that 2013 elections were rigged. If they actually were, then there is no moral and legal reason for PML-N government to stay in power for a minute longer. It was about two days after the elections that Imran Khan from his hospital bed announced to accept the elections on the condition that a detailed audit of 4 constituencies be carried out. Today, two of those MNAs are federal ministers and one is the Speaker of NA. For fourteen months PTI waited, repeating that demand. I was also one of those who went to the sit-in against the rigging in Khawaja Saad Rafiques constituency. Anger in the people, who believed their mandate was stolen was enormous.Imran Khan represented about 7 million voters at that time, if he had announced a street movement then, things would have probably gone violently out of hand. Like they did 1977. But PTI waited. Nothing was done. No commission was formed. Instead PML-N candidates hid behind the procedural inefficiencies and red tapes or court stay orders to stall or avoid the audit of constituencies. Up till now more than 14 constituencies which were audited have been proved to be enormously rigged. Now, to all those preaching a lesson on Five years term of a democratically elected government, if a government is formed as a result of rigging in polls why should it be allowed to stay in power for five years? If the next government is formed abetted by rigging too, should it be allowed to complete its tenure then again? And then again? All in the name of democracy? What other options did government and its institutions leave to PTI other than building up the public pressure to get its demands met? In previous tenure when PTI launched it Hukoomat Hatao, Mulk Bachao movement, PML-N and a good chuck of our social media populace said it had no right in doing that since it did not contest elections (under a military dictator(. Okay, PTI aborted that movement. Then in January 2013 when PAT launched its long march and sit-in to overthrow the government, PTI decided against joining it and said it only wants elections as an appropriate way of bringing a regime change. It contested election and then hue and cries of rigging marred that election. It waited for 14 months for at least four, if not all seventy it had filed requests for, constituencies to be audited. Rallies were organized but the government still did not bend. Today, charged PTI supporters made a run towards Red Zone and it is only a matter of time that situation gets chaotic again. As much as it should be condemned, what needs t be understood is the fact that they are the workers of a party which was cornered for 14 months and was denied virtually all sober methods of getting the justice vis-a-vis rigging in elections. If I was to add my subjective assessment of Nawaz Sharif I would say he is the most corrupt political leader Pakistan has ever seen. Since decades, Sharif family is known for using money for its dirty works. Nawazs own corruption scandals from Qarz utaro, mulk sanwaro to Mehran Bank to Hudaybia Paper mills to Yellow cab scam to IJI funds would require a book to be dedicated to them. His infamous introductions of Lafafa journalism and Changamanga politics to Pakistani political culture will always be remembered. There are still about 70 cases pending in National Accountability against the Sharif family. He has established a virtual dynasty where his family members hold key positions and the only potential rulers are the ones that are his descendents. But ironically thats not a bigger issue here. The bigger concern is that Nawaz Sharifs corruption and incompetency and nepotism notwithstanding, a huge number of people believe that he is the Prime Minister due to the rigging in the polls and should leave the office. Elections are constitutional. Rigging the elections, becoming the PM and claiming a right to rule for 5 years is not constitutional. I do not want to be an abettor of an unconstitutional, much less corrupt, rule of Nawaz Sharif and I believe a civil disobedience movement is the only peaceful way left to get him removed.
Posted on: Sun, 17 Aug 2014 19:10:03 +0000
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