ON Sept 20, Maryam Nawaz, the daughter of PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif, showed her gratitude on twitter, saying: “Thank you social media for pleading and fighting the cause of democracy and rule of law. Pakistan is changing.”

At the multiparty conference (MPC) in Islamabad on Sept 20 leaders from the opposition (PML-N, PPP, JUI-F, ANP) claimed to be enthusiastic supporters of democracy by describing the current government as ‘selected’ and alleging the involvement of the army in the politics.

The so-called enthusiastic supporters of democracy forgot to mention that the high officials of the institutions they are throwing aspersions on were appointed by the PML-N government itself.

Nawaz Sharif’s entry into politics was itself accidental and very unexpected, because the self-proclaimed guardian of democracy was brought into politics by Gen Ziaul Haq to counter the popularity of the Pakistan People’s Party and Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in Punjab.

Mian Mohammad Sharif, the father of the three-time prime minister, was an apolitical businessman whose industries were nationalised by Bhutto. To protect his business he became anti-Bhutto and agreed on the request of Gen Jilani to cooperate with Gen Zia’s martial law government.

He handed both of his sons to be trained and launched into politics. The PML-N supremo, who is a fugitive from law, should remember he started his political career under autocracy.

The MPC leaders, now united to oust Prime Minister Imran Khan, used to blame each other back in the 1990s, due to which the decade from 1989 to 1999 was termed as ‘the era of dirty politics’.

Some of the opposition leaders have either been convicted for corruption or are facing trials. They are using the term ‘fight for the cause democracy’ to safeguard their own personal interests and their personal empires by trying to gain the sympathy and empathy of the masses.

Muaz Ullah Khan

Islamabad

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IN a recent speech Nawaz Sharif once again talked about ‘respect to vote’ and how elections in Pakistan are manipulated and the election system was hijacked to ensure certain winners.

When he does not trust Pakistani hospitals and healthcare system and travels to London for his treatment why does he compete in elections in Pakistan?

If he thinks elections are rigged by ‘some hidden elements with power’ and are not free and fair, why does he bother to fight elections in Pakistan? Why doesn’t he try participating in elections in the UK?

Anas A Khan

Edmonton, Canada

Published in Dawn, September 26th, 2020