Page 52 - Tehelka Issue 15 August 2018
P. 52
OpiniOn
Pakistan poll results to
impact India relations
Pakistan army, which plays a dominant role in the internal politics
Spotlight of the country, has always tried to ensure that even the civilian
government remains under its control and it should worry India
Vipin pubby
o wonder that any corruption against him yet the country’s
civilian prime minister of highest court held him guilty under
Pakistan has completed Shariat law for not being truthful and
Former resident editor five-year tenure and there honest. This rendered him ineligible for
of The Indian Express, have been no less than 30 the post of prime minister and forced
Vipin Pubby is a senior N prime ministers since its him to quit the office. It was widely be-
journalist based in inception. Besides, it has seen 15 presi- lieved that the army had engineered the
Chandigarh. He can dents and three constitutions during the action through the judiciary and that it
be contacted at period. It is now only the second time in was a “judicial coup”.
vipinpubby@gmail. its history that a civilian transition has As if it was not enough, the National
com. The views taken place. Accountability Commission decreed
expressed are personal All through the campaign for the that he had bought apartments in
recently concluded elections, it was London from “unaccounted money”
obvious that the army was backing the and sentenced him to 10 years in jail. His
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) led by daughter Maryam, who was also consid-
cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan. ered his heir apparent, too was given
Therefore, the outcome of the elections a seven-year jail term. This followed
to Pakistan National Assembly offered exposure through “Panama Papers”
no surprise. Imran Khan had not only which had pointed that apartments
positioned himself as aligned to the were bought by the Sharif family out of
army and was speaking its language, illegal money stashed abroad. Again no
he had been projecting his arch-rival, corruption charge was proved against
Nawaz Sharif of Pakistan Muslim him.
League-Nawaz (PML-N), as pro-India His disqualification to contest for any
and anti-Army. Even on the day of the public office and jail sentence became
polling, he had gone in the record to a major issue in the elections. In fact, he
say that Nawaz Sharif has “interests took a major gamble to evoke sympathy
of India” in mind rather than that of vote by landing in Pakistan on the eve of
Pakistan. the elections after leaving his ailing wife
It is known fact that Nawaz Sharif in London. He and his daughter Maryam
had been trying to assert himself when were arrested as soon as they landed in
he was the prime minister. This was not Pakistan. However, the gamble failed to
to the liking of the powerful army estab- pay off and his party lost the election. He
lishment. The manner in which he was is now likely to cool his heels in jail for a
made to resign as prime minister and long time to come.
was barred from contesting elections While the PML continues to hold
or holding any public post for life made considerable hold in the Punjab prov-
it apparent that he was being eased out ince, which dominates the politics in
deliberately. The charge against him the country due to its sheer size and
was that he had not declared in his number of seats at stake, the hold of the
income tax returns that he might get Sharif family is likely to weaken with
some money from a company floated the defeat of his younger brother and
by his son. He had neither received the former chief minister Shahbaz Sharif.
money nor were there any charges of He was being projected as the prime
Tehelka / 15 august 2018 52 www.Tehelka.com
