ISLAMABAD, Dec 23: Although things seem to have improved a bit following the statements by the army chief and the chief justice allaying the widespread fear of military takeover, federal ministers, parliamentarians across party lines and civil and military bureaucrats who gathered at a dinner on Friday said the situation was still fluid and would take some time to get normal.
Unlike previous such occasions when the participants used to chat and laugh before formal beginning of the dinner, this time there was hardly any laughter and people in small groups kept on discussing ongoing developments in the country.
Politicians, especially from the treasury benches, looked worried and wore grim faces. If some one asked to explain the body language of the participants from the government side, including Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, there were no positive signs. The gathering was at the Prime Minister's House where Prime Minister Gilani hosted a reception for Chinese State Councilor Dai Bingguo to mark the 60th anniversary of China-Pakistan diplomat relations and the closing of the year of China-Pakistan friendship.
The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, air and naval chiefs, speaker of the National Assembly, federal ministers for finance, foreign affairs, interior and water and power, parliamentarians from all political parties and the entire federal bureaucracy attended the reception. A select group of journalists were also invited. When asked to comment on the political situation following the prime minister's frontal attack on the military establishment on Friday, a senior PPP office-bearer and MNA said: “So far so good, and let's see what happens. I can only say one thing; the current situation will remain the same in coming weeks.”
A federal minister belonging to the PML-Q said it was very unfortunate that once again the country was heading towards square one. He was of the view that the prime minister had overreacted to the happenings and gone too far into the forbidden territory. “Why does the PPP want to sacrifice its government just to save one person who throughout his life has changed loyalties?” he asked while referring to former ambassador to the US Husain Haqqani.
But according to a top federal secretary, as of today both the government and the military were on one side vis-Ã -vis the Supreme Court. “As far as the 'memogate' scandal is concerned all roads lead to the Supreme Court. All other major stakeholders, including the ruling and opposition parties, military leaders, Mr Haqqani have submitted their sworn affidavits and now it is up to the apex court how it handles the case,” the bureaucrat said.
However, he added, the Supreme Court had come under immense pressure to take the memo case to a logical conclusion and could not leave it just like that.
According to a federal minister belonging to the PPP, the ruling party was left with no choice but to take them (military establishment) on. “Yes, we have taken the plunge, which the party believes is need of the hour, and ready to face the consequences,” he said.
Another federal secretary was of the opinion that the country was bedeviled with so many serious problems ranging from the energy crisis to economic meltdown, which nobody would like to come forward to handle at the moment and, therefore, “I don't think that they will pack up the present government; they will instead keep criticising it”.
Talking to Dawn, a PML-N MNA said whatever was happening was not good for democracy. According to him, the present government should be allowed to complete its five-year constitutional term. He was also not happy about his party chief's decision to plead the memo case in the court himself.