As the PML-N licks its near-fatal wound it must also be asking whether it could rise phoenix-like from the ashes of the Supreme Court`s verdict against Nawaz Sharif, his children, son-in-law and one of his closest confidantes.

One of the first hints of Mr Sharif`s oncoming travails came in the news conference addressed by Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on the eve of the Supreme Court judgement, where the then interior minister seemed keen to explain how he`d been completely sidelined in what he called the consultative process.

Quoting the Roman emperors` (and generals`) tradition of having slaves whisper `you are a mere mortal` or words to that effect in their ears during moments of glory in particular, Nisar Ali Khan said he was perhaps the only one telling Nawaz Sharif: `You are human, Mian Sahib` He said this must have led to his sidelining in the `consultative` process for the past several weeks as those having access to the then prime minister had blocked him out so he could not speak the truth to him which, according to Chaudhry Nisar, Nawaz Sharif himself appreciated.

One can disagree with Chaudhry Nisar all one wants, and I, for one, do across a range of issues.

But it must also be acknowledged that he has been a key lieutenant of the PML-N leader from the day in the late 1980s that Nawaz Sharif rebelled against Muhammad Khan Junejo and removed him from the party leadership at the behest of Gen Ziaul Haq.

Although Nisar Ali Khan was careful to reiterate a number of times that the prime minister was a decent man with whom he had no issues, he lashed out at those in the inner circle, including ministers, who had poisoned Nawaz Sharif`s ears against him.

While he refrained from naming the ministers or (any of the) others it was not difficult to speculate he may have been referring to the prime minister`s daughter who was after all responsible for giving direction to the PML-N social media team and some of the ministers whose stance didn`t sit well with Nisar Ali Khan as `this was not the PML-N`s language`.Nawaz Sharif had extremely poor counsel ever since the Panama Papers were leaked to journalists who started sifting through the mounds of data to find information that was relevant and useful to them.

When the journalists` organisation ICIJ reportedly contacted the Sharif family to get their version on the leaked information that they owned a number of flats in one of London`s most expensive residential areas, the family did not respond to the queries.

This lethargic, even lackadaisical, response could only have been rooted in either a sense of being indestructible or a total and complete lack ofunderstanding of the challenge the scandal could pose to Nawaz Sharif and his family.

The Sharifs did not seek proper legal counsel at that stage. Instead came two out-of-the-blue interviews by Nawaz Sharif`s elder son, who told anchors on Pakistani news TV channels that the flats were theirs and offered a long explanation of how them came to own them.

Watching the interviews (available online) a few times made me realise that these were not based on legal advice but merely a clumsy attempt to preempt the publication of the Panama Papers that were obtained by hacking the database of Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca.

Once the information became public and a huge international story, the ramifications started to be felt in Pakistan. Nawaz Sharif addressed the nation and also parliament and offered himself for accountability.If he had stuck to doing just that perhaps it could have been better but, taken together, all the family`s statements often sounded contradictory. It appeared stories were being made up or new facts were emerging as they went along.

Even as the Supreme Court took up the petitions of notably Imran Khan, Sirajul Haq and Sheikh Rasheed there was no single defence team lined up to fight Nawaz Sharif`s corner. There was a musical chairs of sorts for defence lawyers.

Therefore, it was ironic that the court found a technicality to disqualify Mr Sharif from being a member of parliament and barred him from holding the office of prime minister.

The Sharifs` party may have been formed under the patronage of Zia and the Hameed Guls of this world, and their fortunes may have grown exponentially during the period the Sharif brothers were happy to play second fiddle to the military ruler. But they have built the PML-N into a formidable political machine today. The coming months will tell how formidable exactly.

Ifthey are able tohold the party togetherin one of its toughest hours and ensure a smooth passing of the baton to whosoever is going to be the interim prime minister till Shahbaz Sharif can win a National Assembly by-election possibly on the seat falling vacant with his elder brother`s disqualification and assume office, all will not be lost.

Of course, how his successor runs Punjab and whether he/she can have the same kind of stranglehold on the administrative machinery as Shahbaz Sharif did would dictate the future course of elections in that all-important province.

If the verdict is seen as something with a deeper meaning and other parties such as PTI and/or PML-Q are able to effect desertions from among PML-N legislators as a result then a totally different scenario could emerge. I am not a betting man. But I will say any rumours of the PMLN`s demise at this stage are highly exaggerated and premature.

The writer is a former editor of Dawn.
abbas.nasir@hotmail.com

This story was originally published by Dawn, Pakistan

If a string of recent events have sparked a bit of optimism among the observers of the country`s politics and students of its rather tragic history it is indeed a welcome development.

When such columnists and writers, who had been forced by decades of depression due to an endless downward spiral into being no more than prophets of doom and gloom, begin to see and acknowledge signs of change it appears a safe bet to believe something positive is afoot.

Side by side with this optimism, another debate that has adorned the op-ed pages of major newspapers, at least in the English language, has focused on whether Pakistan can ever be a liberal society or will remain conservative. Frankly, I lack the intellectual prowess to take sides in this debate.

Let me share, nonetheless, what gives me hope about our country`s future; in fact, what has always filled me with hope about tomorrow: Pakistan`s women. Yes, its women, so many of whom toil unsung in the far reaches of the country more than equal in their contribution to the household income but still tragically unequal in status, in wages and in many other aspects.

Before the state recently applied the brakes and did an about-turn from the road to perdition it seemed committed to, for years and years the only ray of hope that I nurtured and cherished was that half of the country`s population would one day rise up and prevent what seemed like a determined attempt at collective suicide.

What gave me this optimism? Well let me tell you.

Before my third birthday I was struck by the polio virus. Lack of awareness of polio`s ravages meant there was no inoculation. Even some of the top pediatricians were ignorant of the disease and I was treated for several weeks for typhoid.

My mother was a small-framed woman with a steely resolve. Despite being devastated by what had happened to me (I was told by family and friends much later in life), she never betrayed any signs of her anguish.

Over the following years of my life she not only taught me to walk a second time but also drummed into me a never-say-die spirit. We lived in Rawalpindi and often headed to Murree for picnics with other families.

My mother would carry me on her hip to the highest point other children got to, to play. I am sure if she needed to she`d drag me up the hill too so I didn`t feel left behind. Thus, I grew up feeling pretty self assured and saw my disability as no more than a minor inconvenience.

From my mother the baton passed to some of the most incredible teachers one can have. All of whom were women. For me learning from them was not just about the `course` for the year. They taught me the meaning of respect, of equality and of decency. Each one determined that I had all I needed to succeed despite the obvious mobility challenge.

Oh yes, the law of averages did kick in and one or two of my women teachers left a lot to be desired like some of their male counterparts. But on the whole, whether in my circle of family and friends or in my professional life, the women who have influenced me with their professionalism and commitment would outnumber men.

One criticism that is the favourite of nit-picl.

I don`t agree. Just to mention three, where did Mukhtar Mai, Kainat Soomro and Malala Yousafzai all women of substance come from? They came from either the middle class or the lowest rung of the socioeconomic ladder and look what they have achieved with their grit.

It is true that I am restraining myself from naming more women as my word count limitation will not permit to but seriously look around you and acknowledge the excellence that women bring to each endeavour.

In my journalistic career, I have worked with two of the gutsiest editors in Pakistan and both happened to be women. The news magazines they edited were a tribute to their vision and their commitment to the truth.

The pluralistic society and sanity they advocated through their pages was done through difficult, turbulent times and yet we, the reporters, were free to seek out the truth and write everything we wanted to.

We were never confronted with a `no` for an answer.

Today too our women colleagues hold up the banner of objective journalism aloft. Dawn`s refocused op-ed pages have much to do with the newspaper`s first woman op-ed editor, Zubeida Mustafa, with whom I worked. Women on the editorial team continue to provide nuanced brilliance to date. The reporters `bylines tell their own story too. Elsewhere in the media, in parliament, in law, in medicine, science, architecture, in fact wherever you look a revolution is under way with a large number of urban women from all socioeconomic tiers excelling and leaving their long entrenched male peers, well, sitting.

All that society needs to do to reinforce the sense of optimism currently being expressed and to accelerate to the promise of a brighter tomorrow is to let the women take their rightful place at the helm; create an enabling environment where the women can do what they want to and see what happens.

It isn`t difficult to imagine what Pakistan will 1001< like given where our women have got to despite endless obstacles in their path whether in the name of culture, traditions or most ominously religion. Ability and potential, not gender bias, will determine our future.

The writer is a former editor of Dawn. abbas.nasir@hotmail.com

This story was originally published by Dawn, Pakistan