SC order a blow to Pakistani opposition

The reprieve given to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif by Pakistan’s Supreme Court has not only given the ruling PML-N party a breather but also an edge for the forthcoming general election.

The PML-N now has enough time to use official machinery and set the stage ahead of the 2018 polls, which possibly it will now call for by the end of the year.

Opposition parties have seen Thursday’s Supreme Court order for a fresh investigation into corruption allegations against Sharif as a setback to their electoral plans. The court ordered the creation of a joint investigation team to probe allegations linked to the Panama Papers leaks within two months.

Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party was hoping for Sharif to step down and for some sort of interim set-up to be put in place. Historically, the chances of an electoral upset become brighter in such a situation. Sadly for Khan’s party, this is not about to happen.

But what is striking about the judgment was that the two nonPunjabi judges in the five-member bench – one being a Sindhi and the other a Seraiki – had ruled that Sharif should step down. This reflects the growing resentment in different circles with the Punjab-centric federal government.

Analysts said that while a twomonth breather has been obtained, it remains to be seen whether Sharif will actually be sent home after the joint investigation team – which will include representatives from the InterServices Intelligence and Military Intelligence – concludes its investigations.

The general view in Pakistan is that this will not happen and the only objective of the exercise has been to keep the Sharif government on the defensive.

“The establishment continues to challenge the democratic government so that it remains on edge,” said analyst and journalist Husain Naqi. “It is part of the power struggle that has continued throughout Sharif’s tenure.”