Facing accountability courts, once again, PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari let off steam at a news conference in Islamabad. Political forces, he said, will have to unite and pass a resolution that the present government cannot last long, and is not capable of running the country. A resolution passed by opposition parties, of course, is not enough to get rid of the PTI government, they say, is both troublesome and incompetent. For lack of numbers they cannot get a no-confidence move past Parliament. Yet as Zardari indicated in a message aimed at the other major opposition party, the PML-N - whose leadership has been facing a harsh accountability process - they can join hands to give tough time to the ruling party. Asked if a meeting between him and Nawaz Sharif was possible, Zardari said although at present he faces cases initiated by PML-N government, "it does not mean that a meeting cannot take place."
Indeed, in politics nothing is outside the realm of possibility. Not long ago, the PPP leader had refused to respond to PML-N supreme leader ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif's overtures, apparently, because the latter had left him in the lurch in a time of need. Also, as part of an informal understanding with the PTI, his party gave grief to the League, toppling its government in Balochistan and later taking away from it two top Senate offices. Now the PPP and the PML-N find themselves on the same side of the fence, castigated by Prime Minister Imran Khan and his ministers, calling them robbers and thieves. True that none of the ongoing alleged corruption cases has been initiated by the present government. True also that Imran Khan's key campaign promise was to end corruption. But it does no service to him when he and his ministers use bad language against opposition leaders. Just the other day while talking to media persons, Khan averred "a lot of politicians are criminals," adding he would not spare "any thief or criminal," and that there would be no deal with the opposition over sparing criminals. For one thing, such assertions smack of vengeance. For another they cast aspersions on the National Accountability Bureau's integrity. In fact, while in his recent speech before the National Assembly, Nawaz League president and former Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif blamed his arrest by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on what he called an "unholy alliance" between the PTI and NAB, commenting on his arrest PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf had turned itself into "Pakistan Tehreek-e-Inteqam".
The accountability process must take its logical course. But it should not look like a government-instigated campaign. The Prime Minister and his men would be wise not to make provocative statements, causing unnecessary controversies. They need to focus on governance, letting NAB do its job.
Comments
Comments are closed.