Topic Of The Day:-“Uncertainty Ahead”
The disqualification of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif from holding public office, by the Pakistan Supreme Court in the Panama Papers case, leaves a huge political vacuum in the country. This is the third time Mr. Sharif’s premiership has been cut short. If his first two terms were ended by the country’s powerful military, first forcing him to resign and then overthrowing his government in a coup, this time it was through a formal legal process. The Supreme Court invoked a controversial Article of the Constitution that requires politicians to be “honest” and “righteous”. The court ruled that Mr. Sharif was dishonest in failing to disclose in his 2013 election nomination papers his association with a UAE-based company and therefore was unfit to continue in office. The court also referred money-laundering allegations against Mr. Sharif and his children to the National Accountability Bureau, the anti-corruption regulator. While Opposition politicians, especially the Tehreek-e-Insaf’s Imran Khan who filed a petition in the Supreme Court against the Sharif family, have welcomed the ruling as an endorsement of accountability, there are some worrying legal and procedural questions about the Supreme Court’s decision. For instance, should it have waited for the full investigation into the corruption allegations before disqualifying him? At the practical level, the focus is on whether Mr. Sharif’s exit will fuel political instability. A seasoned politician with immense popularity and experience in dealing with the military, he upheld his authority in his third term despite sustained pressure from the generals. There were occasional flashpoints, but the military largely refrained from showing its hand. It had chosen to exercise its powers over the executive indirectly, to avoid public disenchantment of the sort that undermined its image during the years of Pervez Musharraf’s presidency. Over the last four years Pakistan has had a spell of relative economic stability, an easing of the electricity crisis and a drop in terror attacks. But now that Mr. Sharif is gone, it is not clear how the military will deal with any resultant political instability or executive frailty. The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz has quickly named Shahbaz Sharif, the former Prime Minister’s brother and the Chief Minister of Punjab, as his successor to ensure a smooth transition as well as to stop its rivals from gaining from a prolonged crisis. But the younger Sharif, who had a run-in with the military last year, has big shoes to fill at a challenging time. With Pakistan going to the polls next year and the opposition, mainly Mr. Khan’s PTI which is in effect the king’s party, trying to turn corruption into a galvanising electoral issue, Shahbaz Sharif will take charge while the country is virtually in campaign mode. All this is happening at a time when Pakistan is coming under increased pressure from the United States to act against militants, and while border tensions with India and Afghanistan continue to remain high. Even with his brother’s backroom support, Shahbaz Sharif will have his plate full.
MEANINGS AND WORDS
1) Overthrowing
Meaning: Remove forcibly from power.
Example: Military coups which had attempted to overthrow the King.
Synonyms: Remove, bring down
2) Endorsement
Meaning: The action of endorsing someone or something.
Example: The issue of full independence received overwhelming endorsement.
Synonyms: Support, Backing, Approval
Antonyms: Opposition
3) Refrained
Meaning: Stop oneself from doing something.
Example: She refrained from comment.
Synonyms: Abstain, Desist, Hold back
4) Disenchantment
Meaning: A feeling of disappointment about someone or something you previously respected or admired; disillusionment.
Example: Their growing disenchantment with the leadership.
Synonyms: Disillusionment, Disappointment
5) Prolonged
Meaning: Continuing for a long time or longer than usual; lengthy.
Example: An idea which prolonged the life of the engine by many years.
Synonyms: Lengthen, Make longer
Antonyms: Shorten
6) Galvanising
Meaning: Shock or excite (someone) into taking action.
Example: The urgency of his voice galvanized them into action.
Synonyms: Jolt, Shock, Startle
Antonyms: Demotivate
7) Amass
Meaning: Gather together or accumulate (a large amount or number of material or things) over a period of time.
Example: He amassed a fortune estimated at close to a million pounds.
Synonyms: Gather, Collect
Antonyms: Dissipate
8) Ostensibly
Meaning: As appears or is stated to be true, though not necessarily so; apparently.
Example: The party secretary resigned, ostensibly from ill health.
Synonyms: apparently, Seemingly
Antonyms: Genuinely, Really
9) Offshore
Meaning: Made, situated, or registered abroad, especially in order to take advantage of lower taxes or costs or less stringent regulation.
Example: Offshore accounts.
10) Protégé
Meaning: A person who is guided and supported by an older and more experienced or influential person.
Example: Ruskin submitted his protégé’s name for election.
Synonyms: Pupil, Student
