There was absolutely no justification, whatsoever for PM Shahbaz Sharif and his team to go to London and seek guidance or consultations with Nawaz Sharif. It is not just bad optics but is cause for concern for those who think that Shahbaz Sharif is more competent and qualified to handle the affairs of governance than his predecessor Imran Khan. PM Shahbaz Sharif heads a coalition government which includes all major political parties and came to power constitutionally through a Vote-of-No-Confidence moved by the majority of members of the National Assembly. This confidence in the coalition government headed by Shahbaz Sharif is shaken by such bad optics. If any advice is needed, it can be sought in this age of technology through known secure modes of electronic communications.
In a democracy there is no place for cults, be it Altaf Hussain, Imran Khan or any other individual. Decisions must be made through collective wisdom, either by consensus or majority vote. Sole individual sovereignty over all matters is a divine right of Almighty Allah SWT and not of any other individual human being, whosoever he may be. The PTI-led coalition government failed because it was run like a cult. Khan chose a kitchen cabinet comprising of men who had no stakes in Pakistan and were not even eligible to be elected, most of them involved in real estate profitable ventures all over the world.
If only former PM Imran Khan had not succumbed to pressure when his coalition government took over in 2018, Pakistan in all likelihood would never have been in the economic mess it is today.
MALIK TARIQ ALI
LAHORE
