Page 53 - 30NOV2019EA

INTERNATIONAL

However, the Imran Khan’s govern-
ment’s demand that Sharif should fur-
nish an indemnity bond worth 44mil-
lion US dollars before flying out could
not be implemented. The court allowed
him to travel without signing the bond,
and thus the political drama ended
without attracting any anger from
the common people. It appears Imran
Khan’s political initiative to cleanse the
system has just failed.

Rumours versus Facts:
The curtain on a month-long drama
was finally drawn on November 19,
when Imran Khan meekly signed the
permission document for Sharif’s
journey to London. It also ended the
six-year old rhetoric of Imran Khan

The ‘Azadi March’
• Bond missing Imran Khan
wanted Sharif to sign indemnity of Maulana Fazlur
bond before leaving Pakistan
Rahman, the chief of
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam,
brought the present
surety too was declined. Sharif and his surety bonds to leave Pakistan.
family are known to be shrewd politi- Imran Khan, the cricketer-turned incumbent Imran
cians knew that the Khan’s popularity is politician, faced a real challenge within
just waning, if not totally vanished. his government, when the National Khan to face the
Both Khan and his mentor Bajwa Accountability Bureau (NAB) declined complexities of
indulged in the political-administrative to decide the issue of giving permis-
drama to have a face-saving formula. sion to the ailing leader to go abroad governance
The cabinet had decided to permit Sha- for treatment. It appears that the
rif to go abroad for medical treatment if Pakistani establishment or the army
he agrees to sign surety bonds making has also conceded the demand of Sha- and his cronies that if he is ever voted
a commitment that he would return rif to allow him to go abroad. Within to power nor he and neither his party
after the treatment and face corruption Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), the would send Nawaz Sharif, his fam-
cases against him. Sharif’s name would resistance against his decision appears ily and members of his party, Pakistan
be removed from the no-fly list (Exit to be mounting. Muslim League (Noon) to send for
Control List-ECL). Among his cabinet colleagues assert indulging in rampant corruption. How-
According to Firdous Awan, special that the decision to let Sharif go out on ever, some insiders claim that Imran
assistant in the information depart- even medical grounds would hurt the Khan’s proposed project of setting up a
ment, the government has decided party as the party won the elections super luxury hotel in London reported
to allow Sharif’s treatment abroad on on the slogan of bringing all corrupt to be known in the corridors of power
“human grounds and decided to allow politicians to the books. The minister in Pakistan, including GHQ.
him, but he should furnish the surety for water resources, Faisal Vawda, has In spite of massive financial assis-
bond money, which should be equal to expressed his displeasure in a tweet. tance to Pakistan amounting to more
the fine imposed by the courts. Mean- Similarly, the minister for science, than seven billion in the past one year,
while, Imran Khan also met Sharif’s Fawad Chaudhry said that he was the country’s economic woes continue
personal physician Adnan Khan and against any decision to let Sharif fly to make life of the common people
a lawyer Attaullah Tarar. Amidst this out of the country. It also goes against miserable. Amidst this deteriorating
face-saving political drama, the judi- much-trumpeted Khan’s statement economic situation, the news of Imran
ciary came to the rescue of the estab- that he would never show any leniency Khan getting richer could have trigger
lishment allowing Nawaz without any towards corrupt people. off massive protests against the govern-

53