Nawaz Sharif, branded another ‘traitor’ to Pakistan is in good company
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He is Pakistan’s senior most living politician with governance experience, leading his party three times to power and becoming elected prime minister each time. He has been ousted forcibly from power each time and controversially convicted, jailed and exiled multiple times. Nawaz Sharif has a new feather in his cap – he is now also a traitor if you believe the current ruling party and its prime minister.
But Sharif is not the only ‘traitor’ in play. Pakistan is awash with allegations of treason with ruling and opposition ranks casting aspersions at the loyalty of politicians from amongst each other to the state. Clearly, it is easy to play the ‘traitor game’ in Pakistan with bruising rhetoric calling into question one’s loyalty to the state often snowballing into alarming proportions.
It is not too difficult to become a traitor. Argue for close government cooperation with India, sympathize with the Kabul viewpoint on Islamabad’s security interests in Afghanistan, commiserate with the sentiments of nationalists in Balochistan and Sindh, support calls for apologizing to Bangladesh for the events of 1971, question the veracity of claims that Pakistan won all wars against India, wonder aloud if secularism would not be a better bet in promoting equality of citizenry than embracing a single religion, or even support a former army chief’s trial for treason – and you will automatically qualify for the dubious distinction of being a traitor.
A way of discrediting political opponents, allegations of treason are not uncommon-- but this time come with actual registration of some cases, even in procedural violation of law, against several high-profile figures including former prime ministers and current opposition leaders, lending a menacing precedent with the potential to deliver actual harm to persons and politics.
As a ‘traitor,’ Sharif is in good company. Many of Pakistan’s distinguished and popular citizens, politicians such as Zulfikar Bhutto, Benazir Bhutto, Bacha Khan, G M Syed, Wali Khan, Mahmood Achakzai, Altaf Hussain, Fatima Jinnah, Hussain Suhrawardy, Ghaus Bizenjo, Khair Marri, Akbar Bugti and Ataullah Mengal; and intellectuals and writers like Faiz Ahmed, Saadat Manto, Ustad Daman and Habib Jalib; activists, such as Asma Jahangir; diplomats, such as Hussain Haqqani; and journalists, such as Hamid Mir, Maleeha Lodhi and Najam Sethi, and others, have found themselves at various times branded traitors and accused of conspiracy, sedition etc.
Pakistan is awash with allegations of treason with ruling and opposition ranks casting aspersions at the loyalty of politicians from amongst each other to the state. Clearly, it is easy to play the traitor game in Pakistan with bruising rhetoric, calling into question one’s loyalty to the state often snowballing into alarming proportions.
Adnan Rehmat
Have these Pakistanis been, or are they still, traitors? Beyond accusations, allegations and suspicions, the real measure by which they can be certified by the state as traitors is only in a court of law. In Pakistani law, high treason is articulated in Article 6 and only criminalizes subversion of the constitution. But more importantly, the Pakistani legal framework allows only the federal government to be the petitioner for treason. And, under Article 6, only a special court appointed by the government can try someone for treason. Ironically, the only person ever tried by the state for high treason – and convicted but unpunished – in Pakistan is former army chief General Pervez Musharraf.
In public perceptions, all the politicians above variously branded as traitors are actually widely recognized and respected for their leadership and contribution to Pakistan’s democracy project. Other intellectual luminaries, such as Faiz, Manto and Jalib, far from being considered traitors that the state functionaries claimed them to be, now remain some of the best popular representatives of a pluralist, democratic Pakistan.
It then appears that while it is easy to be branded a traitor in Pakistan, it is not easy to prove one so in a court of law. Ironically, those never tried for treason, such as Ayub Khan, Zia ul Haq and Yahya Khan and their abettors – who staged coups – have never needed any formal trials to be considered traitors even decades afterwards. There is hope for Sharif, therefore.
Treason, however, is not to be trifled with. Political opposition should not lead to extreme political polarization, allowing for wild allegations. Pakistan’s political principals need to make a compact against making random allegations of treason against their opponents. Registration of any treason cases should only be limited to the worst possible acts that are committed against the entire country – abrogation or deep actionable violations of the constitution – with registration of cases lying only in the state’s hands, not individuals.
– Adnan Rehmat is a Pakistan-based journalist, researcher and analyst with interests in politics, media, development and science.
Twitter: @adnanrehmat1
