Ominous portents

Speaker National Assembly and an important leader of the PML-N Ayaz Sadiq sounded very pessimistic about the assemblies completing their tenure while talking to a private TV channel, and hinted at the possibility of a ‘grand alliance’ in the offing against the sitting government. The apprehensions expressed by him cannot be dismissed lightly since, being the speaker of the National Assembly, he might be privy to certain developments behind the scene not known to the public which in his assessment formed ominous portents for the continuation of the democratic process in the country.

What exactly is going on may not be known to the general public but the developments that took place in the country after the disqualification of the former prime minister – and particularly during the last two to three months – are certainly a cause of great worry for them as well all for those who have a stake in strengthening democracy in the country in line with the vision of the Quaid.

It is really regrettable to note that just when the country seemed poised to have surmounted formidable challenges like terrorism and religious extremism; and had taken irrefutable strides towards the revival of the sagging economy; and Balochistan and Karachi were fast returning to normalcy; and the prospects of yet another smooth transfer of power through the ballot box looked a certainty the things have taken an ugly turn owing to the politics of self-aggrandizement by our politicians and political parties.

The way the writ of the state has been challenged through the culture of sit-ins, especially the one held at Faizabad, is surely going to have a debilitating impact on the political landscape of the country and the future of democracy in the country. It is a typical case of political parties ganging up not for any bigger national cause but simply for settling political scores and finding a way to the corridors of power by hook or by crook.

What is the most worrying factor is that even the mainstream political parties have found it convenient to show their willingness to support and even join the likely sit-in by the PAT – notwithstanding the fact that legal recourse to the episode is available to the party concerned. Some parties even tried to use the election oath controversy to their political advantage despite the fact that the issue had been settled through parliament. What happens when political parties endorse and encourage moves like scuttling the writ of the state for their own narrow political gains was amply demonstrated by the lawyers at Multan who ransacked the judicial complex in the presence of the police who watched the scene from the sidelines.

Due to the culture of sit-ins, the country is fast drifting towards anarchy. The major political parties – besides supporting the moves aimed at challenging the writ of the state – are also trying to create difficulties in their own different ways.

The PTI is gunning for immediate polls in the country, which it sees as the only solution to winch the country out of the current volatile situation. The other mainstream party, the PPP, delayed the passage of the delimitation bill in the Senate though it had voted in its favour in the National Assembly in spite of the fact that in the CCI meeting the government had accepted the demands of the PPP and the MQM and the government was assured of support for the passage of the bill in the Senate.

The dilemma is that not holding the next elections on time would create a constitutional crisis in the country because after the census it had become a constitutional requirement to hold the elections on the basis of the delimitation of constituencies done in light of the new census. The PPP had taken the position that it was not trying to delay the elections as they could be held even on the basis of the previous census. That stance was not legitimate because the provinces who have put their weight behind the delimitations of constituencies on the basis of the new census might not agree to this proposition, particularly provinces that are likely to gain more seats in the new arrangement.

The revival of the Mutahidda Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) and the new alliances in the offing also conform to the apprehensions expressed by the speaker of the National Assembly. The obtaining ambience of political uncertainty in the country has already started showing its diabolical consequences in the form of reduced remittances, decline in foreign investments, the beating taken by the rupee and the gloom prevailing over the stock exchange.

Our politicians and political parties need to learning from their past mistakes and place the national interests above their narrow political gains. Politics of alliances and self-aggrandizement has invariably harmed the national interest and proved inimical to democracy in the country. They must realise that the recipe bequeathed by the founding father was the only way the country could be winched out of the quagmire it was stuck in.

By trying to destabilise governments, political forces end up insulting the genius of the people and eroding the power of the vote, thereby adding to their own vulnerabilities. Strengthening democracy and ensuring constitutional rule in the country would best serve the interests of the country and the political parties.

Politicians and political parties must also be mindful of the lurking internal and external dangers and the need for national unity at this critical juncture. The country cannot afford to tread the path of political instability. That is why all political forces must opt for pursuing their political objectives through legitimate and legal means. They must learn to respect the mandate of the people to ensure the continuity of the democratic process and create a win-win situation for all the stakeholders in the bright future of Pakistan.

The writer is a freelance contributor.

Email: ashpak10@gmail.com