Contemptuous of The Nation!

Ishtiaq Ahmed
Islamabad: The events of the last week have pushed Pakistan into even deeper crisis. As a nation, our focus should be on getting an handle on the financial and economic ruins facing the country and getting the debilitating costs of living under control.

Instead, millions are being wasted on political war of attrition between the PDA and the IK’s PTI. It makes no sense to the nation at home and certainly it makes no sense to the international community, particularly, Pakistan’s allies who, I believe, would be equally confused and bewildered by the recent turn of events.
This is not how the political leadership should be conducting its affairs when the country is in deep financial meltdown with crippling economy and rising costs of living thus adding millions more to the poverty line.
The past week has been particularly difficult for Pakistan. The war of political attrition involving the PDA and the PTI has reached a new intensity. For the neutrals, the current political impasse is extremely frustrating.

They hope and expect better things of Pakistan’s leadership and a more discerning approach to the affairs of the country. Instead, what they getting is a toxic culture of political clashes which more about personalities than about values, policies and strategies.
All of the last week has been about Imran Khan. Earlier in the week Lahore police tried to arrest Mr Khan for missing a court hearing. On Friday, the court granted Mr Khan protection against arrest on the assurance that he would appear in court on today in Islamabad.
However, the court in Islamabad cancelled the hearing regarding the ‘Taushkhana’ case amidst security concerns. Throughout the day the situation in Islamabad despite the imposition of section 144 is reported to be volatile involving clashes between the IK supporters and the security personnel, resulting in arrests and injuries.
The chaotic scenes saw Mr Khan unable to enter the court before the judge agreed for security reasons that he could mark his attendance and return home. However, it is being reported that the file marking IK has gone missing. If this true then it could only happen in Pakistan.

How could this happen on such a sensitive case being watched by the nation and the world is beyond belief, if it is true.
The handling of this entire sordid affair can only be described as contemptible, for it raises a number of questions:

• In this age of advance technology why IK hearing could not be arranged by a video link given the grave concerns around security?
• Was it that the authorities wanted to force the issue to test the waters by showing their control?
• Or more cynically, was it that the authorities wanted Imran Khan to fall foul of the law which could be used to build more cases against him and use this as an excuse to postpone elections?

The events of the last two days have pushed Pakistan into further political uncertainty and crisis, the recovery from which would be hazardous.
This entire sordid episode has left the nation divided, confused and polarised. Deep wounds inflicted will be difficult to heal.
The country’s leadership should be concentrating on getting the country out of the financial mess, repairing the economy, getting a handle on inflation and rising costs of daily essentials, resurrecting the credibility of the country in the internal circles and, most importantly, getting the national elections back on track.
Instead, the war of attrition between political personalities and the political parties is distracting the focus and the energy away from the most pressing challenges facing Pakistan. This may not be the contempt of the court but it certainly is the contemptuous of the nation.