The Sharifs of Pakistan are pulling no punches in their attacks on the civilian government. They have resorted to an all-guns-blazing battle against the military establishment of the Islamic country, even if metaphorically, as of now. That the Imran Khan-led, yet Army-controlled civilian government has also come under intense fire is no secret, and the opposition parties, under the umbrella of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) are demanding no less than an ouster of Imran Khan and a retreat of the armed forces from Islamabad’s power corridors back to their barracks, which is where they belong. Leading this unprecedented movement for installation of real-time democracy in the Islamic Republic is Maryam Nawaz Sharif, daughter of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
The Sharifs, on expected lines, are being incarcerated by the quasi-military regime of Pakistan, for raising their voice against the Generals who hold the strings over their puppets. While Nawaz Sharif is steering Pakistan to a street-movement of resisting and overthrowing the military junta while he himself is lodged in London, Maryam Nawaz Sharif is in Pakistan, knitting a grand alliance of opposition parties and entities. These include Sindhi and Balochi nationalists as well; a development which has sent shivers down the spine of the dictatorial establishment.
Needless to say, Maryam Nawaz Sharif is being seen as quite a challenge by the military establishment, who, for the first time perhaps, are witnessing the streets of Pakistani Punjab getting flooded with agitators, and the otherwise committed Punjabis rising in revolt. Maryam Nawaz Sharif has been able to bring almost all groups whose voice matters in Pakistan under one umbrella, from the Punjabis and Sindhis to the Pashtuns and Balochis. The PDM, meanwhile, has made it clear that Imran Khan’s ouster and the withdrawal of military junta from Pakistani politics will only be possible with widespread street protests and agitations.
For their democratic demands and statements, the Pakistani establishment has now charged Maryam and her father with sedition charges, and also accused them of helping India in its campaign to internationally isolate Pakistan. The sedition case filed against Sharif, his daughter and 44 top party leaders says he has sought in his speeches to isolate Pakistan internationally and have it declared a rogue state.“Convict Nawaz Sharif has been openly inciting the public to commit treason,” said the case, adding that it was aimed at maligning the armed forces and the judiciary. This comes in the backdrop of the Sharifs demanding ouster of the military establishment from Pakistani politics, beginning with the booting out of Imran Khan.
#BREAKING: Sedition case filed against Former Pakistani Prime Minister and PMLN leader Nawaz Sharif as well as his daughter Maryam Nawaz. The FIR registered as evident below says Nawaz Sharif was helping his friend Narendra Modi indirectly. (ISPR drama never ends) 🤦♂️ pic.twitter.com/j1QYsoTE2z
— Aditya Raj Kaul (@AdityaRajKaul) October 5, 2020
Interestingly, successive movements for restoration of democratic principles and machinations in the Islamic country have been led by women, whether it be Fatima Jinnah fighting against Ayub Khan’s dictatorial regime, or Benazir Bhutto standing up against Zia-ul-Haq, to Maryam Nawaz Sharif now leading the aggressive fight against General Qamar Javed Bajwa and the ISI’s firm grip over Pakistani politics and day-to-day life, with civilian help from their stooge – Imran Khan, of course.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Punjab spokesperson Azma Bukhari, meanwhile, has come out and said that among the Pakistani youth, Maryam Nawaz Sharif is an extremely likeable figure, with her being the favourite choice of many new-age Pakistanis, many of whom are driven to her due to her fearlessness in taking on the status quoits, and also for her modern outlook, which by the way, does not include incessantly fighting India over fictitious ideas, but which instead, looks towards resolution of pending disputes.
What is worrying the existing Pakistani establishment is their recognition of the fact that Maryam Nawaz Sharif is here for the long haul, and that she too recognises that fighting ‘undemocratic forces’ will not be an easy task. That she is persisting on her chosen path nevertheless, is giving the military and ISI establishment of the Islamic Republic sleepless nights.
Maryam Nawaz Sharif, meanwhile, must tread cautiously on the path of democratic revivalism in Pakistan, as the power still does rest with the military establishment. If Maryam turns out to be a gigantic headache for them, history serves as a testimony of what all can be in the offing for her. Every step of hers must be strategic, and the father-daughter duo must focus on exposing the Pakistani deep state internationally so that any misadventure on the part of the Pakistani army and dummy civilian government has far-reaching consequences, from which they find it impossible to recover.
