Amir Mateen

ISLAMABAD: The PML-N has an uncanny yearning for crisis. So when it does not have a crisis at hand, it specialises in creating one. The raid on Tahirul Qadri’s office in Lahore was exactly that.

The opposition had reasons to flare up the moment news about the death of eight people and many more injured filtered in the House. It was an obvious case of over-doing. Almost all opposition members got up on their toes to stop the otherwise drab budget debate. PTI’s Javed Hashmi was the first one to mumble his protest. A virtual ally of Tahirul Qadri, the PTI had extra reasons to be enraged over the high handedness shown by the ruthless Punjab ‘Poolas’—as they are called in Lahore. Farooq Sattar took over to condemn “the killing of innocent workers” in harsher words. The MQM is equally sympathetic to Tahirul Qadri. Also, it suspects that the PML-N government did not play a positive role in the arrest of Altaf Bhai.

However, it was PPP’s Khursheed Shah who sounded most genuine in his critique. In fact, he had requested the PML-N government a day earlier not to over react on Tahirul Qadri. “Please show a bigger heart and let Tahirul Qadri come; nothing will happen,” the PPP veteran had given his sane advice. But then the crisis-crazy Punjab government with Rana Sanaullah as its chief ‘toughy’ is beyond any counsel. The PPP remains one of the most quiescent opposition, extending cooperation to the extent that many accuse it of a sell-out.

Only a day earlier, Khursheed Shah had refused to be provoked by Sheikh Rasheed in staging a walkout and had offered his party’s all out help. But even an otherwise docile Syed from Sukkur protested over “the uncalled for treatment”, accusing Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif of conspiring against his elder brother. Why else should somebody do that, he marveled.

The government put up a meek defence in the absence of the Interior Minister, who, we are told, has been advised bed rest till the end of Operation Azb. The official explanation was that the firing started from the Qadri camp. Whatever the case, the Punjab government blundered into an unnecessary issue. This will precisely do what the PML-N was trying to avoid—give a lease of life to a dead horse Pakistan Awami Tehrik.

Operation Azb had left little chance for Tahirul Qadri to launch his so-called movement. After all, his patrons had more important things to attend to. Even the Sheikh of Lal Haveli, realising the changing circumstance, had cancelled his train march. Trust the PML-N for giving the maulana the chance of a lifetime. Also, the timing was bad. A division in ranks is the last thing that this country needs at a time when it fights the mother of all wars. Fight to the finish, as they claimed. We expected the Punjab government to pound on the religious extremists, particularly the sectarian terrorists who romp around freely in Punjab. Tahirul Qadri may have lots of issues but he is the only mullah, though Canadian, who openly denounces religious terrorism. And his Barelvi followers happen to be, in relative terms, the only peaceful religious lobby.

Many ascribed the extreme reaction to the PML-N insecurity in Punjab. They don’t like anybody challenging their absolute writ in Fortress Punjab. Tahirul Qadri may not be a political threat but his organisational network and his Barelvi followers provide a lethal base for the PTI to take roots in Punjab. Finally, enters Pervaiz Elahi.

The PML-Q has been reduced to a tongue party but the Chaudhary brothers are like a red rag to Shahbaz Sharif. It’s personal as they are capable of provoking the kid brother into extreme action. This should explain the latest Lahore tragedy.

All of these parties may have political reasons to score even with the PML-N but it was the Punjab government that gave them a birdie.

This happened just when we thought that the ruling party was slightly out of the woods.

After months of perceived tension between Islamabad and Rawalpindi, the two seemed on the same page on Operation Azb. The Karachi attack was turned into an opportunity to redirect the government position on the right track. The Waziristan operation forced the entire political spectrum to fall in line. The big Khan had to swallow the bitter pill. It backed out from its support to the Taliban and, per force, support the PML-N. The opposition of Jamaat-i-Islami’s four members in a Parliament of 447 members hardly matters. But the predicament of Maulana Fazlur Rehman was no less painful. After playing with his Android tablet for over 30 minutes, which is disallowed in the House, he stood up to criticise Operation Azb. But the smart thing about the Maulana is that he never crossed the line by actually opposing the Operation. Nor did he leave the government benches in the hope that the PML-N would soon allot JUI ministers the lucrative portfolios that he wants—besides regular goodies.

It was interesting listening to his interpretation of history. The parent party of militant Taliban claimed to be the apostle of peace whose party always “discouraged militancy and Talibanisation.” The crux of his speech was: the dialogue with Taliban can still be fruitful only if, hold your breath, the Maulana becomes the in charge.

He believed that earlier attempts failed because he was not part of it. It was obvious that the Maulana feels the pinch of being totally irrelevant to new realities. He is out of the KP and Balochistan governments, first time in 27 years in the latter case. His party sits on the government benches in the National Assembly but he has no leverage on Nawaz Sharif. So he sounded desperate to be counted in somewhere, anywhere.

Tail Piece: Isa Nori of BNP (Mengal) happens to be the only opposition member from Bacloshitan. PMAP may sit on the opposition benches in Islamabad but as part of the PML-N-NP coalition in Balochistan government, technically, it is not opposition. Nori was not given the chance to speak on budget for five days which made him to walk out. The Speaker got his prized office because he delivered Balochistan members, thanks to his Aitchisonian friends. But he should know a little about the intricacies of that god-forsaken province. Sad indeed!

The News

June 18, 2014