Pakistan political situation 2017

‘Panamagate’ refuses to die as the New Year has begun with new bench of the Supreme Court, which will start hearing petitions of Imran Khan and others from Wednesday. However, the new chief justice of Pakistan, Justice Saqib Nisar, has recused himself from the case. In all probability, the outcome of the case will dominate the emerging political scenario in 2017, which even otherwise is the electioneering year and we will witness lots of political happenings in the next 12 months.

Both, the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) and the main opposition party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) are confident of winning the case, but it is good that both will accept the judgement, at least this is what they say right now.
However, Imran Khan was disappointed when the previous bench, headed by former chief justice, Anwar Zaheer Jamali, adjourned the hearing till the first week of January, and said, the new bench would hear the petitions.

When the senior most judge, Justice Saqib Nisar, took the oath, he ended all kinds of speculations over 'Panama case’, by keeping himself out of the bench. Whether elections will be held as per schedule in 2018 or earlier, the battle for Islamabad will be between the ruling PML-N and opposition PTI, the SC verdict on Panama will also determine the political career of both Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and also of Imran Khan.

Imran, who had lost his campaign over election rigging in 2013 after the Judicial Commission findings in 2015, wants to win 'Panama case’, as his chances of victory in the next general elections has a lot to do with the court verdict.

Defeat in this case will further reduce his chances of winning the upcoming elections, but a victory could give a new lease of life to his party and he could go into polls with high spirits. On the other hand, stakes are also high in the other camp. There’s a lot more than the political career of PM Sharif which is under threat.
Any adverse ruling would seriously dent his political legacy, as he often sees his daughter taking over power from him in future. But, the PML-N is ready to take the challenge, as the political battle between the PML and the PTI has now entered the crucial phase and political temperature has also soared.

The kind of language being used by both sides during TV talk shows and in public meetings also reflects rising tensions. The battle for Punjab is the battle for Islamabad. The PML-N has been ruling the province since 1985 and has retired General Pervez Musharraf not staged a coup on Oct 12, 1999, Sharifs could have enjoyed an uninterrupted rule. Musharraf's era had created a split in the party and Chaudhrys of Gujrat and Moonis Elahi sided with the former president as an alley.

However, for the first time, the Muslim League emerged as an opposition party, unlike in the past when leaguers had the reputation of changing loyalties. But many who changed their loyalties during Musharraf's period are now part of PML-N, something which went against Shairfs’ post-Musharraf politics.

Imran Khan, who also supported Musharraf from 1999 to 2002, not only regretted his association with him but is also seriously challenging Sharifs’ political supremacy now. Thus, in 2017, the battlefield will be Lahore, which since 1970s had witnessed major political transformation. Once it was the stronghold of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), under Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. It is the city where three major political parties, PPP, PML and PTI were founded.

So, the city will witness one of the most crucial political battles in the next elections between the 'might of Sharifs’, and the rise of Imran. Some PML-N leaders conceded that for the first time the party faced serious political challenge in 2013 elections in Lahore, and the PTI did jolt the party. "In a way it was good for the party, as competition always helps you correct your mistakes, said a PML-N leader on condition of anonymity, as he criticised some of the party leaders.

Now where would stand the other mainstream political parties in this 'two-party battle’? The PTI has practically replaced the PPP in Punjab, and the latter may witness some important party leaders leaving it before the elections.

The decision of former president, Asif Ali Zardari, to take the centre-stage is something which had been opposed by many leaders of the PPP Punjab. They had even suggested to Mr Zardari to either stay away from the party or become the party's 'Rahbar’ (patron).

The only option for the PPP is the post-election scenario, as they are unlikely to stage a big comeback in near future. In 2017, the party would try to regain some of its lost glory in southern Punjab and sweep in Sindh including improving its position in Karachi.

While Imran Khan is confident that the PTI would retain its position in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, only an anti-PTI alliance comprising PML-N, JUI-F, ANP and PPP could pose challenge to the PTI-JI alliance.
Therefore, we may see hectic political manoeuvring in 2017, in the post-Panama scenario. But, for the first time, Karachi will be most unpredictable in the aftermath of a split in the MQM, between the MQM-Pakistan, MQM-London and Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP). Will this split help any of the three or parties like PPP, JI and PTI, is yet to be seen.

The year would determine the future political discourse for 2018. Thus, the visit of Imran Khan and his stay in the city for three days clearly showed that he sees the party chances and has decided to hold public meetings here in the next few months.

While there are little chances of any grand opposition alliance before the election, the PPP is at crossroad right now. The only positive response which Mr Zardari has got was from the PML-Q’s Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, who met him recently. But, his own party's position in Punjab and elsewhere is not much different from that of the PPP in Punjab.

The Supreme Court, since the historic lawyer movement, had taken some historic decisions. It has done what the successive governments and Parliament have failed to do, like holding of local government elections or population census on time as a constitutional obligation. In fact, they failed and put the burden on the SC.
While the mainstream opposition parties, led by Imran Khan, and even persons like Sirajul Haq, have stated that if they did not get justice from the SC, they would settle the issue on roads, i.e. agitation. For them, ‘justice’ means decision in their favour.

Thus, in many ways we have not only tried to politicize the case but also the judiciary, something which could have negative repercussion on the independence of judiciary.

The year 2017 will be the test of political maturity, independence of judiciary, autonomous Election Commission of Pakistan, constituted with consensus and the test of parliament to adopt consensus 'electoral reforms’, and implement it before the next polls.

Source;

https://www.geo.tv/latest/

Hashmi says Imran conspired with 'disgruntled elements in the army' during 2014 sit-in

Former president of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Javed Hashmi and PTI Chairman Imran Khan on Sunday traded barbs after Hashmi on a TV show accused the PTI chief of conspiring against the government during the 2014 sit-in because he had failed to win enough votes in the election.

Imran, in response, accused the veteran politician of lying. "What response can I give to Hashmi's jhoot plus?" he asked.

Hashmi's allegations

Javed Hashmi speaks to journalists in Multan.

In a fiery diatribe against his old party, Hashmi made the allegation that, "Disgruntled elements in the army wanted to make Raheel Sharif unsuccessful at any cost, and through Imran Khan, they wanted to destroy the parliament."

The former PTI leader even alleged that senior party members had not been convinced that there had been rigging on a large scale in Punjab during the 2014 election, despite the PTI's public stance during their historic sit-in the same year that large-scale election rigging had resulted in the party's loss.

"The parliamentary leader was Shah Mahmood Qureshi. Presiding over the parliamentary leaders, he [had] said that there had been no rigging in Punjab. At most, in one or two constituencies," Hashmi claimed.

Hashmi also accused Imran Khan of working in league with non-political forces working against the government, whom Hashmi referred to as 'script writers'.

"Our script writers, whoever they were, wrote that Tahir-ul-Qadri would go to parliament and we [the PTI] would sit behind them. That was the main script," he claimed.

"Imran said [former Chief Justice of Pakistan] Tasadduq Jillani would leave and then Nasir-ul-Mulk would [be sworn in]. He would [listen to us] and dissolve the assemblies. And after that, there would be elections in 90 days. During that time, he said, the Supreme Court will take over and then we [the PTI] will win," Hashmi alleged.

"I said, Imran Khan, this is not how it happens. This sit-in will not be successful."

"If you're not winning, don't destroy the entire country because you are frustrated," Hashmi said, recalling his conversation with the PTI chief.

"I resigned because the Supreme Court's holidays were [suddenly] cancelled ... This seemed like a very big conspiracy to me," he said.

"This seemed like the last item [on the script]. Because the generals had already told Imran Khan that Nawaz Sharif would not sign his resignation letter," Hashmi claimed.

The veteran politician was referring to an incident in 1999, when General Mahmood had allegedly asked PM Nawaz Sharif to sign his resignation, but the premier chose not to sign the letter and told the general to kill him instead.

"It was [Imran Khan's] second step to get everything done by the Supreme Court," Hashmi added, referring possibly to a move to force the prime minister's resignation through the Supreme Court.

Hashmi also said he has always been against the PTI's strategy of sit-ins against the government. "It isn't the right strategy as it will only produce more struggle for the young political workers in your party," he said, adding that he had warned Imran his party workers would struggle on the streets for five years without any outcome.

"Young people see things in black and white," he said. "I am more experienced than he is in politics. I know what I am saying."

'What response to Hashmi's jhoot plus?'

Imran responded to Hashmi's allegations by implying the veteran politician had lost his senses and was lying.

"I think Javed Hashmi has reached the age where his mental state is not sound. What response can I give his madness, his jhoot plus?" he asked.

Hashmi, responding to Imran Khan's jibe at his age, said, "Imran Khan is only a year and a half younger than I am ... A board should examine his mental state and mine too. Then it will be clear who is sharper."

"If a mental health institution [tested us] and released a report, then the country would be free of Imran Khan ... They will be surprised to learn what a liar he is."

"I think there should be a commission. There has been such a big fraud with the people. I guarantee you, he will not dare to sit and say otherwise in front of me."

Hashmi's resignation from the PTI

In 2014, Javed Hashmi had announced his resignation from the party presidency and its membership following his suspension after various allegations against Imran Khan which the party leadership said he had failed to explain.

Hashmi had said that he could no longer continue his membership with a party 'conspiring' to dismantle democracy in Pakistan.

In a memorable speech to a joint session of Parliament in 2014, the seasoned politician had claimed that a system existed in the country "to engineer [the] making and breaking of governments."

He made the claims shortly after alleging that "a scripted plan to overthrow the government, using violent protests as a pretext" had influenced the 2014 sit-in against the government.

Source:

http://www.dawn.com/

Saad Rafique's Claims Bashed by New Reports

Since his appointment as Railway Minister, Khawaja Saad Rafique had vowed to make it one of the most profitable state owned business. Whenever asked about the progress of railways the minister would boast about how great his policies were and recently he had diverted his attention towards saving his PM on the media. Moonis Elahi and other politicians who we know are educated and have served in the government all expressed concerns about how the railways was still incurring losses and that the minister must perform his duties rather than be a spokesperson for the Nawaz Shrif Panama Gate scandal. It was high time the minister had gone back to his department and thought about actually bringing profits rather than making false statements.

The delusional bubble burst when the financial reports for fiscal year 2015 - 16 came to light. the report highlighted that only 40% of the trains were running on break even and the rest were a burden on the nation due to failed policies of the minister. A close aide to Moonis Elahi revealed that the young politician was already expecting the results that came forth through the report. The total losses recorded are Rs. 1.75 billion which is a huge setback to the economy which is already in shambles. While the N League leaders beg around the world for aid to support the economy, its ministers blow it away on fake publicity and nonproductive policies.

Moonis Elahi is further known to have said that it was nothing new to expect from the PMLN led government. Every time Nawaz Sharif and his loyalists have come into power, the nation has suffered. There is not a single department that shows signs of growth and if you pick up the reports of every project initiated or run by PMLN, the results is the same as always, only losses will be the figure at the end. When ministries are awarded on favoritism rather than merit the result will only be disastrous. To run an organization the head must be a sensible person who is loyal to the organization rather than being loyal to only the person who gifted him a position beyond his caliber.

The PTI chairman Imran Khan has always pointed out the fact that Nawaz led government is only run by fools who know how to please the PM rather than handle the departments they have been awarded. Pakistan is seemingly hijacked by the poor mentality of the people who are uneducated and think that a businessman like Nawaz Sharif can save the country. It is high time to give the educated politicians such as Moonis Elahi, Fatima Bhutto, Asad Umar and many other notable personalities capable to lead the country a chance to redefine history and make Pakistan great again.

Gullu Butts Rule While Innocents And Ambulances Denied To Pass

Moonis Elahi says it is the constitutional right for opposition members and people who have been affected by Government's brutality to protest when justice is denied. In the wake of PTI and PAT march, PMLN has ordered Lahore and Rawalpindi to be sealed with containers. Such acts will only incite violence and create mayhem.

  Placing containers on roads and barricading the routes have caused serious problems to commuters and especially the ill. While massive traffic jams are being witnessed ambulances are stuck in traffic and patients inside have no hope of reaching the hospitals in time. Moonis Elahi said had this been PMLQ tenure we would not have resort to such brutality against our own countrymen. It is astounding that PMLN thinks they own the country and all others living in it are aliens.