DEADLOCKS happen everywhere in the world but civilised nations come out of the mess amicably with more vigour and promise. On the contrary, such crossroads in Pakistan invariably lead to greater chaos and fall of governments. Our misfortune can be gauged by the undeniable fact that no prime minister completed his/her constitutional term of office.

The present fiasco, created by Panama leaks, is becoming increasingly unmanageable. History is waiting to repeat itself if no lessons are learnt. If we have learnt something, the option of crossing the bridge is available. Some wizards, however, are discussing systems which can or cannot work for Pakistan.

They know that the present system of load shedding, inflation, corruption, extremism and spiralling debts is not acceptable to the people in the name of democracy.

No easy answers to this perennial question are available. With the government unable to provide leadership, the opposition divided and the Parliament tweeting like a lame duck, the country faces the grim prospect of another tragedy which can be avoided by dictates of experience and a dose of common sense, both of which seem to be in short suppply.

The prime minister is ill-advised to throw stones at the opposition which has a democratic right to criticise the government. Those who are defending the prime minister are not necessarily his best well-wishers. If the house is on fire, the tenant is expected to vacate the premesis and come back if and when the fire has been extinguished or if he is not found guilty of putting the property on fire. The holier-than-the-pope loyalists who are telling the prime minister to stay put are suggesting that he should confront the flames and burn himself. This seems absurd.

From this perspective I shall argue that the opposition is trying to promote morality and rescue the chief executive from a suicidal course. Outbursts of patriotism, usually a refuge of scoundrels, cannot be allowed to blur reality and mar the national interest because the prime minister’s job is not more impotrtant than the country he is supposed to lead and serve.

Even on the terms of reference( ToRs) issue the government has been nudged by the chief justice of Pakistan and the chief of army staff to sort out this mayhem immediately because Pakistan is facing enormous threats internally and externally.

As the present parliament is too divided and too afraid to frame consensus terms of reference, the COAS and CJP may like to encourage the third-time prime minister once again to provide a moral leadership to the country and pull all of us out of the burning woods. ToRs will potentially grow into a monster which will consume Mr Sharif and damage the country.

The prime minister should not listen to those who are unaware of the coming storms. The opposition will have no choice but to go to the people to seek their support to find a peaceful exit from a great tragedy in the making.

Although I am disappointed but not without hope which springs eternal in the human heart.

Ambassador (r) B.A. Malik

Islamabad

Published in Dawn, May 30th, 2016