A storm seems to have been weathered
A caged lion tries to roar. That was what we called the prime minister in his entry in this list last year. It hadn’t been a good year for him but, truth be told, neither had been the year before that. In fact, Nawaz Sharif’s current stint as prime minister could be squarely divided into two categories: pre-dharna and post-dharna.
When the League was elected into power in 2013, it showed much swashbuckling exuberance. The Indians were told that things were going to be different, retribution would have been sought from the former dictator, perhaps even the federal budget would be realigned, perhaps more accountability from the institution hitherto untouched.
Well, so much for that. The powers that be told the elected government in 2014 to know its place. Then they left the PTI, ever eager to be used, high and dry. The message was clear: first and foremost, leave the Old Boys Club alone, forever scuttling the case against Pervez Musharraf. The latter only recently divulged that the former army chief helped him leave the country. Second, hands off foreign policy; yes, you can get your hands slightly dirty working out trade agreements with the likes of the Czech Republic, but we get to say what our dynamic will be with the US, the UK, China and, of course, the elephant across the border. And the ever impetuous Afghans, who don’t want to be treated like a subjugated vassal state after all that we’ve done for them.
To make things worse, this was the year of the Panama Papers, with the names of the First Brood featured prominently. Owing, half parts to the ineptitude of the PTI’s legal team and half parts to the general difficulty of proving financial misdeeds of this nature, the axe didn’t drop on the premiere’s family. The dust on the case, however, hasn’t yet been settled.
All of the above might be true, but a case could be made that the premier has landed on his feet like the proverbial cat. For starters, the army chief, whom he had to constantly look over his shoulder at, has retired, much to the chagrin of the national commentariat.
Though one would be tempted to say that the new army chief, from appearances, looks like one who would honour the constitutional balance between the institutions in the country, there really is no saying what the position will do to a man. After all, wasn’t the previous army chief a darkhorse choice who wasn’t his predecessor’s favourite? One who would know his place?
Just as governments have their honeymoon periods with the public, so do army chiefs with the prime ministers that pick them. The “golden hour”, to borrow a term from photography. It would do the prime minister good to spend this time wisely.
