Inayatullah In a previous column, I wrote about the lackadaisical performance of the PML-N as the major opposition party. Also, how they were hoodwinked by those at the helm of affairs and how they kept refusing to honour solemn commitments, month after month. How the removed Chief Justice of Pakistan and his colleagues remained in the wilderness, and the Dogar court ruled the roost. All this, when the ruling party led by a sharp-witted co-chairman made hay while the sun was shining. The hallmark of the rulers performance was incompetence and corruption. The prices of daily-use commodities soared, unemployment went up, poverty increased, and power and gas became scarce and more expensive, while the delivery of services deteriorated rapidly. To add insult to injury, the largest Cabinet in the world was foisted on an impoverished country. Fleets of expensive luxury vehicles were imported for the use of public functionaries, and budgets for the palatial buildings of the political masters and for foreign tours were phenomenally raised. Daily new stories of high-level corruption hit the newspapers and television channels. Billions of loans taken by influential people were written off. The remedy found by the regime was to run around the whole world with a begging bowl for grants and loans. Then to somehow manage to get loans from the international financial agencies, and especially the IMF, was hailed as a great achievement. Commitments to impose further taxes on the people were made without seeking approval from the peoples representatives. More loans were secured in two years than the total amount taken during the last six decades. No thought was given as to how this poor country will be able to payback this huge debt. Loans from abroad per se are not necessarily bad. In fact, such input is necessary if kept within reasonable limits and used properly. But how could these be justified if there was poor governance, no assurance about personal security, if there is uncalled for extravagance, excessive waste and above all unbridled, non-stop corruption. Imagine a country which has a remarkable record of heavy borrowings, an undesirable urge to go on printing notes, misuse of authority and funds, writing off billions of loans given to politically influential people, suppression of the higher judiciary, breakdown of law and order, target killings and frequent suicide bombings in all the major cities. Imagine a government that has abdicated the responsibility of framing the foreign policy to the armed forces top brass and which indulges in deceit and hypocrisy in matters of national sovereignty. How can a government allow a foreign power to kill its own people through aerial strikes day after day, making periodically mock protests in the face of a unanimous resolution of Parliament against such aggression? To revert to the oppositions role, there is little doubt that for more than two years it remained most disappointing. The opportunity provided by the lawyers long march was later rightly seized by it and PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif suddenly found himself at the crest of a popular wave. He, however, failed to capitalise on this rare demonstration of peoples power and let the momentum peter away. He kept defending the partys conduct by advancing the plea that the system had to be saved. The rulers remained unscathed and continued in their happy-go-lucky ways. A sporadic strident voice was raised in the National Assembly by the leader of the opposition without any follow-up. The only bright spots since the return of the deposed judges have been the role of the media, the Supreme Court and the energetic welfare and development activities in the Punjab. Finally last month, Nawaz Sharif woke up and threw the gauntlet to the ruling cabal challenging them to agree to implement a 10-point agenda. The PPP already on the back foot jumped at the space thus provided to it, said yes and formed a committee to work with PML-N to achieve the set targets. The crucial question is: Does the ruling party have the intention, the will and the capacity to deliver on this commitment? If their past behaviour and record is kept in view, there is little hope of these points to be met. If reports of continuing corruption at high places persists, if key positions continue to be given to incompetent and tainted officials, if there are little signs of giving up extravagance and wasteful expenditure, if there is increasing evidence of sheer incapacity to stop target killing in the countrys premier city, if the economic management continues to be in tatters while the top officeholders remain the same, can there be any real change in the way the country is being run. Now that a time table has been set the PML-N must nail the government down to each and every task listed in the agenda. At the same time, it must take up every other major default and lapse that comes to light. By doing so, it will reinforce the excellent work being done by the Supreme Court (and barring exceptions) by the media. Three cheers for our brave Chief Justice who remarked the other day: There will be no compromise on corruption. Do whatever you can. Nawaz Sharif too should learn to speak unequivocally. Some of his recent statements have given rise to doubts about his determination to pursue the agenda and take the corrupt and the incompetent to task advancing the plea that the system must be saved. He should realise that the system is already on the verge of collapse. Would he relish being a party to giving another lease of life to a rotten and tottering dispensation? The writer is a political and international relations analyst. Email: pacadepak@gmail.com