LAHORE
The PTI-PAT sit-ins in Islamabad which were viewed as a “joint session” of politico-religious workers, compared to the joint session of the two houses of parliament, are almost over after about six weeks. But Imran Khan and Dr Tahirul Qadri, now called political cousins because of the common cause the two espouse, are still confident that they will be able to bring about a political change in the country in accordance with the wishes of the people. The basis of the claim is not clear yet.
On the other hand, the government believes that the sit-ins, as well as the public meetings planned by the PTI in various cities in days and weeks ahead, pose no threat to the present dispensation. Those holding important positions in the government say that the worst is over and the leftover storm in a teacup will also be over soon.
It is being claimed that with the appointment of a new ISI chief and a number of corps commanders the position of the prime minister has strengthened a lot and he will be able to work comfortably in the future. The PML-N leaders insist that the government will complete its five-year mandated term despite all conspiracies against it.
But there are many who don’t subscribe to such assertions. They think that petitions being moved in courts against the prime minister and criminal cases being registered against him have the potential to bring about a change which the sit-ins had failed to do.
There are also many who think that civil-military relations will not completely normalise unless the government allows former president-COAS Gen Musharraf to leave the country.
Although the prime minister is determined to teach Gen Musharraf a lesson for ousting the PML-N government in October 1999 and then banishing the Sharif family to Saudi Arabia for seven years, observers say only time will tell whether he sticks to his position.
At present, Gen Musharraf is being tried on treason charge and the case has entered a decisive phase. The process of recording evidence of the prosecution witnesses has come to an end. The next step is the examination of the accused under Section 342CrPC.
This means that now Gen Musharraf should appear before the court. But no one knows if he will. The hearing is due to resume on Oct 3.
But at the same time the Supreme Court has to decide a petition after which it will become clear whether the former president will stay in Pakistan or leave for UAE to inquire after his 95-year-old ailing mother.
The Sindh High Court had ordered the relevant authorities to remove Gen Musharraf’s name from the Exit Control List. However, the federal government challenged the order before the apex court on a number of grounds. The case is now scheduled to be taken up on October 1.
In case the government opposes the SHC verdict, as it should, and the apex court doesn’t allow Gen Musharraf to leave the country while the treason and many other cases are pending against him, it will mean that the prime minister has not struck any deal with the army leadership on the future of the man Mr Sharif regards his enemy number one. His commitment to taking the treason trial to its logical conclusion will also indicate that he wants to establish the supremacy of the civilian leadership at all costs.
But a weak prosecution – which will become clear from the kind of arguments to be given by the official team – will imply some behind-the-scene deal between the political and military leadership. Some legal circles suspect that the government, because of its political interests and ensure longevity of term, may adopt a soft attitude toward the former president to enable him to get a favourable verdict from the apex court.
In case Gen Musharraf is allowed to leave the country, the fate of the treason trial is likely to be the same as that of the Memogate after a similar permission was granted to former ambassador Husain Haqqani.