Faisal Raza Abidi’s sabre-rattling against the Supreme Court has cost him his seat at the Central Executive Committee as well as earned him the court’s ire. The apex court has asked for footage to review the video of his press conference. Mr Abidi has demanded that the decision to throw him out of the CEC be taken back, failing which he threatened to blow the lid off the alleged corruption of Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf. One wonders whether the threat is a serious one and his displeasure at the party‘s decision genuine or is he merely resorting to shadow boxing.

The PPP has been effectively banking on such talented orators and such dramatic hysterics in the game to distract and intimidate rivals, but only as stepping stones who are later cast aside once their purpose is served, so as to give the impression that the party is upright and not responsible for individual acts of its members. Consider the role played by Babar Awan and Dr Zulfiqar Mirza who kept the public bemused by their soap box theatrics, often going to the extremes. Though they too were later disowned, the party, it seems, has been quick to encourage others to adopt similar tactics. Broadly speaking, antics of the sort will stunt the process of democratisation by further feulling the standoff between the executive and the judiciary, as well as tarnishing the image of the politicians and thus ought to be avoided.