Give Sharif time to address Pakistan’s challenges

An uneasy mist of apprehension hangs over Pakistan, as it marks its Independence Day today. The capital city of Islamabad prepares to face massive anti-government protests instead of celebrating a momentous occasion. Today’s planned protests will be seen as the most taxing examination of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s democratically elected government, which has been in power for a year.

It was believed that Sharif’s most hostile opposition would come from the military. It has, however, come from Tahir-ul-Qadri, a cleric and Canadian national, and Imran Khan, whose Tehreek-e-Insaaf party is the third-largest political bloc in parliament. Both protagonists want the government to step down, based on allegations of corruption during the election process. This could lead to a battle of wills between the authorities and these two politicians who, in a manner of speaking, are foes turned friends in pursuit of a common cause. Faced with internal challenges, a slumping economy, power shortages and a radical Taliban insurgency in the north, Sharif has his work cut out for him. The prime minister and his cabinet must be given a proper time frame to address these crucial issues, instead of being held hostage to obstructions that have, in all probability, been contrived to serve the political interests of the instigators. Sharif currently has a mandate and he must be judged on performance alone. Attempts to depose him will lead to chaos and instability, further endangering the security of the state and the people.