18th Amendment: worth preserving

The roll back of the 18th Amendment has been reverberating in the country for the last many months attaining impetus since the incumbent government came to power. The PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari asserted last week that he was being targeted simply because of his opposition to the roll back of the 18th Amendment that had addressed the political and economic alienations of the federating units to a large extent at the expense of the centripetal forces.

His assertion clearly implied that he was fully prepared to bear the brunt of hardships for the worthwhile cause without an iota of compunction. He is a brave man ”murd-e- hur’, the honour bestowed upon him by late Majid Nizami in recognition to his resistance to dictatorship.

The incumbent government has though meekly rejected the perception of its being hands in gloves with the forces those have been manipulating to undo the above referred constitutional amendment to promote their own parochial interests.

The ruling party may like to make it absolutely clear with matching conviction that it would not be party to the roll back of the 18th Amendment in the largest interest of the federation and democracy as the people of Pakistan had taken its ownership holistically.

In the absence of such categorical rebuttal the perception may continue to hang on in the air. Undoubtedly, any attempt directed to rescind or mutilate the 18th Amendment may surely meet an exemplary opprobrium of the people because of its undisputed and wide scale of acceptance and appreciation right across the country.

The European Union Observers’ report on July elections 2018 released last week, may give severe jolt to the Election Commission of Pakistan that failed to hold free, fair and transparent elections mainly attributed to the non-provision of level playing field to the contestants, deployment of security officials both inside and outside the polling stations, the failure of the RTS system and above all the undeclared censorship on media to cover the election related assignments in accordance with the journalistic ethics.

In the face of the credibility of the European Union Observes’ report, the elections of July 2018 may become controversial bordering on the “selection”. The report is likely to give more ammunition to the Opposition parties to hit the legitimacy of the incumbent government as the product of ‘Fake Mandate.’

Hectic political activities of the Opposition parties are already underway to stand up to the government’s brinkmanship energised to push the opponents out of the country’s political arena by portraying them as a corrupt and redundant lot that have no relevance with “the new Pakistan”.

On the other hand, the Opposition parties mainly led by PPP and PML-N are also gearing up to get united on the single platform to fight back the onslaught of the government with the powerful weapon of legitimacy that this government, according to them, does not possess under the leadership of “Select Prime Minister”.

The “hellfire” of price hike of the goods and services of common use may melt the ice-thin platform of the ruling party notwithstanding the boost accruing after the Saudi financial support to the incumbent government to stabilise the economy that was indeed swirling out of control.

The anticipated Chinese assistance during the prime minister’s visit early next month to the country may give further boost to the ruling party. But, all these developments may not yield the measurable fruitful results if the ruling party and the Opposition may continue to get each other throat relentlessly with vengeance. Major responsibility to avert the ugly situation undoubtedly rests on the shoulder of the ruling party. But their apathy in this count is frightening.

It definitely seems that Rubicon lines between the government and the Opposition are being drawn with high state of alertness to fight to the bitter end.

This presumption gets credence as the government’s top leadership is not dropping any hint of reconciliation, and the level of political animosity is on the surge with every passing day without any respite.

The threatening tone of mandarins with the tinge of not settling less than putting the political opponents behind bars is much cause of worries for the people of the country because in the infighting their hopes of better days may not translate into reality during the foreseeable future. The country needs political consensus and political stability for economic development that may remain a distant cry if the political leadership of all shades continues to raffle the feathers at each other in perpetuity. Ironically, the novice political leadership at the helm of affairs has learnt nothing from the history. The indispensability of cascade of lamentable consequences akin to repeating the history may not be avoided.

Predictably, collision course between the Treasury and Opposition benches may surely lead to their mutual downside along with casting poor reflection on them as a class that is beyond of mending its fences as their rationality becomes hostage to their incongruity. The quantum of infliction on the contesting parties may vary but its inevitability cannot be eluded by any stretch of imagination. Ordinarily, the ruling party avoids to pick up fight with the Opposition parties because such scuffling is not perceived in the ruling party’s interest that tends to focus on good governance juxtaposed with proficient delivery of services in order to expand its support and legitimacy base. Strangely, the incumbent government led by PTI has been navigating upstream altogether to the disenchantment of the political observers. It is persistently at loggerheads with the Opposition manifesting no enthusiasm whatsoever to extend olive branch to lessen the intensity of strained relations to create an enabling environment. Instead, it has made the Opposition parties as its prime target right from the beginning with no interest of creating a congenial atmosphere for the smooth functioning of the system based on co-existence. Opposition is an integral part of parliamentary democracy. Without Opposition’s substantive and meaningful participation the functioning of democracy may remain in limbo.

Is there method in this madness? It seems PTI government and its leadership has premeditated to continue the strategy of pre-election mode of berating the opponent political forces by hammering as the most corrupt lot that had made billions through corruption at the expense of the poor people leaving them to continue to suffer in miserable conditions of life due to inflicted poverty. They, therefore, deserve no leniency and must face the consequences of their wrong doings. The ruling party thus intends to keep on building their political capital by pro-actively beating the drums of their corruption. Also, vigorously follow their cases of alleged corruption in the courts for twofold purposes. Firstly, the political opponents may remain heavily occupied in the courts cases with far less time to spare to launch anti-government movement. Secondly, schandenfreude, if convicted by the courts they will be despised for all times to come along with neutralisation of their threat paving the way to rule the country without formidable opposition.

The prime minister in his recent address to the nation made no bones when he made it abundantly clear that he would put corrupt politicians of the Opposition in jail and their hopes of getting NRO by bringing the government under pressure would not come to fruition come what may. He, according to him, had irrefutable evidences of their mega corruption that he came to know after becoming the Chief Executive of the country. He seemed determined to follow his political opponents to the end leaving aside the Chinese narrative of dealing the enemies without fighting being the supreme excellence. In these emerging circumstances, the future of participatory democracy looks uncertain that may provide the space to other institutions to creep in at the expense of constitutional rule.

Be aware of the mindset that rears its head to take control from behind and seek to drive from the back seat. Common sense demands that the ruling party may read the predictability of the emerging scenario correctly and forge understanding with the political forces in the best interest of democracy and of the federation. The government cannot handle the political and economic mess with go-it-alone approach. No one is suggesting that the government and its institutions may not bring the corrupt to justice but the perception of political victimisation of the political opponents, that has been flying thick and fast, must be addressed thoroughly and comprehensively. The track record of the accountability in the country offers no solace to the fair-minded political analysts.

The present strategy of the government to deal with the Opposition parties may prove counter-productive for the government in the face of the formidable strength of the Opposition benches in the Parliament where legislative business may become daunting task if not impossible. The Opposition parties have majority in the Senate that could put the legislation process completely on hold for longer period of its choosing. The practice of filibuster may become norm than exception to cause inordinate delay in the legislative business in the Parliament to the frustration of the government. Who will be the beneficiary?

  muhammadshaheedi@yahoo.com