However, let’s suppose, if the
prophecy of anchorpersons sooner or later proved to be right than what would be
possible TOR’S of that ‘deal’ is the prompt question that would have been
divulged from media persons through their ‘sources’.
It seems the government has
realised, however late, that some of its more eager ministers went perhaps a
little too far in making fun, so to speak, of Nawaz Sharif’s illness. Special
Assistant to Prime Minister Firdous Ashiq Awan, especially, could have avoided
the usual crude jokes, alluding to the former prime minister’s diet, etc, as he
was rushed to the hospital because of a dangerously low blood platelet count.
Nobody’s cracking any jokes now as the Punjab health minister confirmed that
Nawaz did, indeed, suffer a “minor heart attack” two days ago and he was
suffering from a disease that causes internal bleeding and diminishes
platelets.
And it was largely because of the
government’s non-serious attitude that rumours quickly started doing the
rounds; from talk of a deal to reports of an air ambulance, fuelled and ready
at Lahore airport, waiting to take the ex-PM out of the country just so the
government can escape the worst of the blame if something were to happen to
Sharif. The manner in which Maryam Nawaz was first denied permission to see her
father in hospital, then allowed only a brief visit, could also have been
handled better. Eventually Prime Minister Imran Khan himself was forced to
issue a statement wishing Nawaz a speedy recovery and allowing Maryam to meet
him. But he’ll understand just why PML-N, especially Nawaz Sharif, is
dismissing the apparent good-will as too little too late.
Needless to say that this particular episode came at an awkward
time for the government; when all its attention was turned towards garrisoning
the capital in anticipation of Maulana Fazlur Rahman’s imminent siege of
Islamabad. Since PML-N is a big part of the agitation, that too on Nawaz
Sharif’s personal insistence (even though Shahbaz was resistant), one can be
sure that Nawaz’s deteriorating health and the government’s unimpressive way of
dealing with it will come up, repeatedly, during the dharna.
Out on bail for the time being, should his health improve, Nawaz
will once again cast a long shadow on the present phase of Pakistan’s politics.
PTI’s case is not helped by the economic burden its policies have placed on the
common man. With wages and jobs diminishing, prices constantly rising, and
little chance of relief on the horizon, the job of a united opposition in terms
of whipping up public sentiment against the government is made that much
easier. Now there’ll be more meat, as they say, in additional allegations of
political victimisation with Nawaz naturally paraded as the principal exhibit.
Even convicted and apparently out of
the picture for a long time, Nawaz Sharif has managed to out maneuver the
government in more ways than one. Surely those in the power need a better
understanding of dealing with political prisoners, regardless of the nature of
their conviction.
Courtesy DT
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