Opposition alliance?

The PML-N Central Executive Committee (CEC) met in Lahore on October 9, 2018 to discuss the arrest of the president of the party and Leader of the Opposition Shahbaz Sharif. The CEC decided to launch a protest movement against what it perceives as political victimisation by the PTI government. Notable about the meeting was the decision of Nawaz Sharif to curtail the period of mourning for his wife and step in due to the absence of Shahbaz. Chairing the CEC meeting, Nawaz directed the party's parliamentary group to establish contact with all opposition parties for launch of a joint struggle. He accused Prime Minister Imran Khan of being the author of the National Accountability Bureau's (NAB's) step of arresting Shahbaz. The CEC passed several resolutions, including condemnation of the arrest of its leadership days before the October 14 by-elections, huge increase in gas and electricity tariff that has fuelled inflation, the threatening tone of the PTI leadership against its political opponents, and PTI's intent to review CPEC projects. Federal Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry hit back with a statement vowing that the anti-corruption drive would continue no matter how much hue and cry the opposition raised. This polarisation also found an echo in the barbs exchanged by the opposition and treasury benches in the Senate before the opposition staged a walkout against Fawad Chaudhry being allowed to speak before the opposition members had had their full say regarding Shahbaz Sharif's arrest and the alleged political victimisation the opposition was being subjected to.
Unfortunately, in a familiar scenario, the issue of accountability has once again become a political football between the government and the opposition. NAB is castigated by the latter as a creation of the Musharraf regime to pillory politicians opposed to him, a role it was continuing allegedly at the behest of the PTI government. The government has been at pains to deny this, claiming NAB is independent and the cases of accountability against the PML-N leaders predate its induction. However, the government should reflect on whether its excessive verbosity on this issue is providing ammunition to the opposition to play the victim card. If, as the government claims, it has nothing to do with NAB's drive, its interests may be better served by talking less and doing more. Accountability has a sorry history of political partisanship in our country. NAB and its predecessor the Ehtesab Bureau both stand accused of putting the political opponents of the regime they served in the dock. In the case of NAB, its investigation and prosecution record, especially against the Sharifs, leaves a great deal to be desired. If accountability is carried on across the board and without any hint of political agendas or partisanship, no one would be able to object. But unfortunately, since the Panama case, large swathes of public opinion (not just PML-N supporters) see the ongoing drive against the Sharifs (and to some extent PPP's Zardaris), as politically motivated, flawed in execution on the touchstone of judicial procedures, and intended to clear the field for the PTI by relegating the opposition to the margins. Whether a non-partisan, credible accountability process is possible in the charged and polarised atmosphere dominating politics currently is a not inconsequential question. It is therefore all the more necessary that NAB demonstrates in practice that it has no political agenda or motivation. If it cannot overcome its past reputation and the current charges of political partisanship against it, this will accelerate the momentum for the still divided opposition to come closer together and create a major headache through its protests not only for the incumbent government, but quite possibly for the fragile national economy that can ill afford any disruptions in economic activity and social unrest.