Women in spotlight

The last few weeks in Pakistan have been very hectic, witnessing important developments. Two women-centric happenings deserve particular mention. First, an act of great courage and bold action on the part of Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Syeda Shehrbano Naqvi of Lahore Police, who rescued (on February 25) a hapless woman surrounded by a charged and frenzied mob at Lahore’s Ichihara Bazaar on suspicion of blasphemy due to her wearing a shirt with Arabic script. In an extraordinary display of courage, the young police officer Naqvi arrived at the scene, pacified the agitated crowd, and personally rescued the young woman who was facing life-threatening slogans baying for her blood.

Her handling of the explosive situation, which is very common in a regressive society in Pakistan, was praised by one and all, instilling confidence among the people and bolstering the confidence of the liberals in Pakistan whose voices are ordinarily silenced by fanatics. She was declared for a high-level recognition, Quaid-e-Azam Police Medal (QPM), by the Pakistani government for this exceptional act drawing universal appreciation. The Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir met her in his office on February 28, which shows that even the Army setup at the helm is praising the act, according to wholesome praise on this young woman. It may also be mentioned that blasphemy is an incendiary charge in deeply conservative, Muslim-majority Pakistan, where even unproven allegations of insulting Islam can provoke death. Politicians have been assassinated, lawyers murdered, and students lynched over such accusations. About thirteen years ago, Punjab Governor Salman Taseer was assassinated by his bodyguard Mumtaz Qadri in 2011 for providing legal protection to one Christian lady, Asia Bibi. Such has been the extent of religious fanaticism.

The other Pakistani woman who made headlines in the recent past is the new Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, daughter of three-time Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and niece of the incumbent Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif. The 50-year-old Maryam Nawaz Sharif is Lahore-born and had her initial education in a prestigious Convent School. Her aspiration to become a medical doctor did not materialize for unavoidable reasons, and instead, she chose to be a full-time politician due to her close advisory role to her father during his second term. She played a key role in her father's re-election campaign in 2008 and was also appointed Chairperson of the Punjab Tourism Development Corporation. Sharif's political career took off in 2013 when she was elected President of the Pakistan Muslim League–Nawaz (PML-N). She led the party to victory in the 2013 general elections. In 2017, Sharif was disqualified from holding public office by the Supreme Court of Pakistan in the Panama Papers scandal and was jailed too.

The Panama scandal catapulted her onto the national political stage. She became the face of resistance with her powerful anti-establishment speeches. Her rallies drew large crowds that helped to revitalize the party. Her role was also a huge departure from the party’s conservative culture that discouraged putting women in leadership positions. But that charisma was soon lost as her speeches lacked substance. The court ruled that Sharif had been involved in corruption and money laundering. Notwithstanding her disqualifications, she remains a popular figure in Pakistani politics. She is seen as a strong and charismatic leader who is capable of taking on the country's challenges. She is also being seen as a potential future Prime Minister of Pakistan.

At her swearing-in ceremony, Nawaz Sharif and his younger brother Shehbaz Sharif watched the passing of the baton to the new generation. Maryam exuded a strong sense of entitlement as she stood up to take the oath for the coveted position that perhaps matters most for the family’s hold on power. It provides yet another ironical twist to the ongoing power game. The family has regained control of its bastion but with questionable legitimacy. That’s what leading political commentator Zahid Hussain opines. It is apparent that the family’s return to power largely owes itself to the support of the same power that was responsible for its ouster a few years back. Her appointment as the Chief Minister of Punjab is being described as a pyrrhic victory for a dynasty that seems to have lost much political capital in the process. Widespread allegations of manipulation of the electoral results have cast a dark shadow over the transition of power and that is unlikely to go away easily from the public memory.

Dynastic politics is nothing new in Pakistan. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Benazir, then Asif Ali Zardari, and Bilawal are live examples. And all have a taint for corruption. In Maryam’s case, it would seem Punjab will see more corruption & nepotism as people from the province of Punjab have considerable representation in the armed forces as well as in other spheres of activity. It is further apprehended that the Sharifs, with tacit blessings of the Army leadership, might see the corruption legitimized or institutionalized. That is what the critics and Pakistan watchers now analyse. Whatever, Pakistan continues to make news with two women for two different reasons and both of them don’t merit to be ignored.

The writer is a retired IPS officer, Adviser NatStrat, and a former National Security Advisor in Mauritius. Views expressed are personal