Old political rivals have turned their animosity into friendship. Political allies are breaking their bonds with the government. Islamabad is where everyone is looking at as the final round has begun.
Everyone is waiting for the play to begin. The political hustle-bustle gained momentum slowly but is now at its peak. Let aside political enthusiasts, even people usually aloof from politics are taking interest in politics now.
Different people have different reasons to follow the current scenario. Some are interested because they just want to see whether the current government will survive the current challenge or the joint opposition will overthrow the government. The next category is the rigid supporters of the political parties involved. They are hoping for their party to win. While the third category is those people who don’t have any concern with politics whatsoever and have nothing to do with the current political crisis and are busy with routine matters.
The fourth and last category belongs to those people who are having a difficult time grasping the situation and are going through a painful phase. They have an understanding of the crisis Pakistan is going through. They understand that the current political upheaval is taking us nowhere.
Terrorism is rising and the situation in Afghanistan poses a threat to Pakistan. Pakistan is pursuing a rather neutral and independent foreign policy, be it the Russia-Ukraine conflict or relations with the US or EU. Will the opposition be able to deal with all these problems smoothly if it succeeds in overthrowing the government or will the unrest hurt Pakistan?
In every challenging situation, be it political or not, some limits should not be crossed at any cost. They keep the environment conducive and healthy. There is always an outside chance of reconciliation and adjustment. The current political crisis in the country has seen those involved sink to their lowest and no one seems to hold back.
Prime Minister Imran Khan is on a mission to protect his premiership and claims people support him while the opposition wants to unseat him and claims people want to get rid of him.
Imran however holds he has been given a mandate for five years and should complete his term. The opposition argues that the PM has lost credibility and it is using its constitutional right to remove him. Ideally, the opposition can use its constitutional right and the PM should not worry about it if he is satisfied with his premiership. The party that has the majority should win and normalcy should resume.
However, that is not the case. Both groups are abusing and grinding each other. Horse trading is at its peak. Votes are being sold for incentives, privileges and promises of important positions. Even matters of national interest like the OIC moot were threatened to be disrupted. This has led to a crisis that is not taking Pakistan forward at least.
The reason for this turmoil lies in the following observations: Most of the parties operating in Pakistan lack internal democracy and accountability. They are run either by ruling families or elites. The situation remains the same for most religious parties. As there is no internal democracy, party rulers make decisions that are based on their wishes without considering the outcome of their decisions.
According to the reports, some MNAs will cast a vote in favour of the opposition in return for party tickets, cash and other privileges. The opposition parties are buying their loyalty for temporary and short term benefits through certain privileges and incentives.
Now the question is where that money will come from? And what will be the credibility of those candidates when they contest elections in future? Are those candidates not a threat to democracy in Pakistan? They are setting the wrong precedents. And will those parties who plan to field them in future be able to justify their actions?
The reason for this mess is materialism and degrading morality. It gives courage to political parties to select those candidates who are popular, wealthy and flexible, and to candidates to join the political parties on their demands, 5rrespective of ideology or national interest. This is a threat to the smooth running of democracy in Pakistan.
Irrespective of the outcome of the No-trust motion, a few questions still need to be answered.
If the no-trust 0otion is unsuccessful, will the PDM and PPP accept the decision? If they do not accept the decision then there will be massive unrest in the country. And if it succeeds, will the PM accept the decision? He has openly said that foreign elements are behind this unrest in the country. If this is accepted, then the future of the country is at stake.
Currently, both the government and the opposition are on the roads to show their strength.
But, a no-confidence motion is a formal business, to be done in Parliament. This can be performed in a peaceful manner without big public gatherings. But it shows the mindset of the political parties that rely on big power shows as it is easy for them to go on roads rather than doing business where it is supposed to.
In the 2018 general elections, people gave a mandate to Imran Khan for f5ve years. Opposition parties, individually, cannot form a government themselves. So they are united for a cause. But history tells us that the intimacy shown by the joint opposition is not going to last. So if the no-confidence motion succeeds and those party leaders who have abused each other in the past are asked to form a new setup, how will they pr6ceed? In the past they have moved away from each other because of differences. So do they have a road map other than just being anti-Imran?
Terrorism is rising and the situation in Afghanistan poses a threat to Pakistan. Pakistan is pursuing a rather neutral and independent foreign policy, be it the Russia-Ukraine conflict or relations with the US or EU. Will the opposition be able to deal with all these problems smoothly if it succeeds in overthrowing the government or will the unrest hurt Pakistan?
