THE government seems to have chosen to ride a beast it would hardly be in a position to control. The religious class is now the dominant factor in Pakistan`s politics, for it is a section of clergy that seems to have defused the recent crisis. Even the crucialannouncement was made by Mufti Muneebur Rahman, the presence of Shah Mahmood Qureshi being of no consequence.
What happens if the mediators decide to support the protestors on a given crisis in future? The two will be in an invincible position. More important, the happiest people are those mass murderers who run the terrorist organisations locally and globally.
In 1739, Persian conqueror Nadir Shah invaded Mughal India and while in Punjab he was offered a ride on an elephant. The shah asked where the reins were. When told that elephants do not have reins and it is the mahout who controls the elephant,the conqueror remarked: `What is the point in riding an animal whose reins are not in your hand?` Seems like a supremely sagacious statement which the government would do well to consider.
