War of words continues…

The tug of war between the Supreme Court and Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani, once again, appeared to have reached on a point of no-return.

The situation to the brink, then back and then back to the brink again, cannot go on more.

The Supreme Court of Pakistan, for few weeks now, has give flexibility as much as it can on the issue of National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO). The apex court heard Aitzaz Ahsan many times, giving enough time to contest the case.

Perhaps, the apex court with an aim to counter denigration that it has ranged in on the government has taken up issues that have greatly embarrassed the security establishment and the opposition parties.

The government’s response was not too positive. Legal experts are united in suggesting that defiant refusal to write letter to the Swiss authorities will not automatically strip the president of his blank immunity but also lead to much immediate trouble for the PPP-led government.

If Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani’s provocative comments on Thursday are anything to go by, the government, indeed, appeared to be challenging the court to oust the premier.

Many people consider it a battle of wills is being fought. The government, which expects to gain political sympathies, seems content to lose the legal battle with the superior judiciary.

In what appeared to be a quite positive move, this tug of war between institutions has not triggered panic and chaos in the political class so far. A chief executive of the elected government is on the verge of being ousted and the democratic order is not being perceived as under primary hazard.

It is quite a positive omen that the democratic order has matured and is more flexible. Certainly, the fact that the real target is Asif Ali Zardari and he isn’t directly in the crosshairs as yet has much to do with the relative calm at presently.

The question is that would the apex court pull up Gilani’s successor too or go directly for the president, if its action does lead to the ouster of the premier. The smarter political strategy is perhaps to live to fight for another day.

Short URL: https://www.newspakistan.pk/?p=16118

Posted by Faisal Farooq on Mar 17 2012. Filed under National, Opinion, Pakistan, Politics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.