Adil Najam

Many of our readers might have seen this picture before in one of viral emails that go around. It is an obvious and perfect candidate for our “Photo of the Day” category. The board these two youngsters are posing with reads something like:

Standing here to get your photograph taken is not allowed. By orders of the chair lift administration. Those breaking this rule will handed over to the police and a Rs. 1000 fine will be imposed.

Shaheryar Azhar

(A commentary analyzing the conditions that led to the now open confrontation between PML-N and PPP after the Supreme Court’s verdict disqualifying Nawaz and Shahbaz Sharif from electoral politics).

There we go again…

The seeds of this impending implosion were laid in the very victory of democratic forces on February 18, 2008 when a free and fair elections brought eight-years of General Musharraf’s illegitimate rule to an end. The seeds lay in the split in Pakistan’s civil society and democratic forces that took place at the very moment of their victory. These seeds were:

1. Inability of large part of the ‘lawyers movement’ to realize that a credible election just took place despite their call for its boycott. That the basis of this election was none other than the ‘political deal’ hammered out between PPP and General Musharraf that they had vociferously decried. Instead of realizing this new political reality and reaching out to the other side for hammering a bargain, they opted for continuation of their confrontational politics as if they were still battling General Musharraf.
2. Inability of the leadership of PPP, particularly President Zardari, and its coalition partners (MQM and ANP) to fully appreciate that ‘the deal’ itself was made possible by the struggle of the lawyers movement and other democratic forces and they also needed to reach out to them and somehow bring them in the fold.

Darwaish

In a short verdict today, Supreme Court of Pakistan has disqualified PML(N) leader Nawaz Sharif and the Chief Minister Punjab Shehbaz Sharif from contesting any election for life. The detailed verdict will be announced later.

The decision technically knocks out two top leaders of one the largest political party of Pakistan, PML(N). It also means that Shehbaz Sharif is no longer the Chief Minister of Punjab and his cabinat has also been dismissed.

The situation in the province and the country is now very tense and the President, Prime Minister and Federal Ministers are all discussing options. There is also talk that the PPP may now formally contact PML(Q) to form a government in the Punjab.

In latest news, Governor-rule was imposed in the Punjab, with the Governor of the Punjab, Salman Taseer taking over as Chief Executive of the province. The decision has sparked angry protests in various cities of Punjab including Lahore, Faisalabad, Guranwala some damage has been caused to public property on Mall Road.

We will have to wait and see the level of political turmoil this verdict creates. Without going into merits of the decision, I think it will create more political instability and uncertainty which is the last thing we want to see in Pakistan. It is rather unfortunate but the initial reactions and statements suggests that Pakistan might be heading towards the politics of confrontation and horse-trading of 1990s.