It was a day of nail-biting suspense that followed a night of hectic political activity. But its denouement that came the same evening was surprisingly calm.
The first strike of Wednesday came from Pindi. The Inter Services Public Relations, the military’s information wing, released a hard-hitting press statement that took to task the prime minister who had in an interview to a Chinese journalist on Monday inexplicably announced that the answers submitted to the Supreme Court by the Chief of Army Staff and the head of the ISI had not been filed following the rules of procedure.
That the military officers were not amused by this revelation was evident on Tuesday, but the hard-hitting statement that the ISPR released a day later took everyone by surprise. It said the allegations of the prime minister had “serious ramifications with potentially grievous consequences for the country.”
The press release set the channels ablaze. But what set them on fire were two other news items that came back to back.
One was the news about a brigadier being posted to command the 111 brigade – that is historically moved to secure Islamabad when the military swings into action to send a government home and a general enters PTV to address his fellow countrymen.
At around the same time, the prime minister in his infinite wisdom moved to sack the defence secretary whom he has already trained his guns on earlier.
In the last week of December, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani had thundered in the assembly that he would not tolerate a state within a state and had later claimed that he was referring to the defence secretary who had moved paperwork around without the proper authorisation.
By this time, analysts on both sides of the political divide were frothing at the mouths on television. Those with a soft spot for the military were predicting — without any proof — that the prime minister had given the post of defence secretary to Nargis Sethi, who is seen to be close to the government because she, unlike her predecessor, would sign the notification to remove the COAS.
Those in favour of the government were expressing horror and disgust at the shenanigans of an establishment that was going to send another elected government home. That neither had any proof and were simply crystal ball gazing deterred no one.
Political parties joined the circus. Those who were not talking to channels or holding impromptu media interactions huddled together to hold meetings on the fast changing situation.
But a few hours and innumerable breaking news alerts later, the man who had begun this current phase of hysteria appeared in front of the media and ended it.
Mr Gilani graced the launch of PTV’s sports channel and as he left he decided to share his views on important state affairs with reporters.
Denying that he was planning to send the COAS home, he also casually mentioned that the COAS had discussed the ISPR press release with him and the prime minister had no objections to the statement.
A damp squib once again or another interlude till the next crisis? No one will have to wait longer than the coming Monday. Till then, however, there may be a calm night or two in the fate of the Pakistani people.
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