Politics has been reduced to the battle of the egos in recent times. The desire to achieve personal goals has intensified to a level where the difference between right and wrong has vanished.
What has been politics up to now? Politicians are involved in abuses, acquisitions, and maligning campaigns against each other and state institutions. Politically motivated steps are taken to cater to personal interests and get rid of opposing voices. In short, politics has been reduced to proving each other corrupt and unfaithful to the country.
Some politicians and political parties have made state institutions biased and compromised by their actions. The state institutions have lost respect in the eyes of the public. Some politicians have stooped so low that one finds it inappropriate to listen to them with family.
The top leadership of every political party is busy justifying the right or wrong actions of party heads. In doing so, they cross all limits while proving their loyalty to the party heads. On the contrary, the unpopular voices within the parties are never listened to nor given weightage.
The head of every party is a revolutionary in his circle. He is prisoned in a cage of illusion that shows him to be a saviour, the ultimate solution to all the problems, and all others as corrupt and misfits 5n the system. Meanwhile the circle of closed ones makes him feel that way and he never sees beyond that circle.
Since the success of the vote of no-confidence against the PM a year ago, two countering narratives have led the political parties. One is of the PTI and the other of the PDM and its allies. Unfortunately, neither of the narratives have been proven correct nor have been fulfilled. Instead, the last year has seen undemocratic and unconstitutional acts and practices.
The opposition, which was supposed to sit on opposition benches, is out of the assembly and in the streets. The statutes passed by the ruling coalition are authoritarian and biassed because there has been no debate and no opposition to these pieces of legislation.
The judiciary has been attacked ferociously. The political parties and leaders only accept decisions that favour them, while rejecting the decisions against them. And then it is portrayed that the decisions are politically motivated and biassed.
The stakeholders have not learned the lesson from history. How long it will take to settle the debate is still a mystery. It must not take another 25-26 years to find the solution as Pakistan cannot further remain in chaos. It should be kept in mind that this time there is no external enemy that can be blamed for any mishap, the rift is within and all are responsible and accountable.
Inflation has broken all previous records. The life of the common man has become worse. Pakistan is yet to reach an agreement with the IMF. Foreign loans and aid are the way forward and look like the last choice. The political leaders look more comfortable in accepting the loan and thanking the donor countries, instead of making Pakistan independent.
The youth is taking the shortest route to tackle the economic and political instability in the country. The youth is preferring to move abroad instead of finding peace in the country. The desire in youth to travel abroad is unreal.
Amid the division in the judiciary and the use of state institutions against the public, people have lost faith in the system. The future looks gloomy as the fight for supremacy has intensified.
The only solution to this problem is dialogue. The political leaders will have to sit together. They will have to leave their egos behind and talk to each other. Instead of inviting undemocratic forces, the political leaders will have to accept each other as a reality and come out of the illusion which does not let them see other political parties and leaders.
The problem with the three mainstream parties’ approach is that they have never accepted each other’s existence. They have tried to eliminate the others. However, in reality, they cannot eliminate each other’s existence. Instead of proving each other corrupt they should be debating on matters of public importance.
The NAB reforms, electoral reforms, and Judicial reforms are the need of the hour. But, the way the PDM government dealt with them without any debate and opposition, will have no long-term benefit. The new government might pass new legislation and the ambiguity will develop further. It would benefit none.
The only solution is the realization that the political parties will have to listen to each other and the public to legislate on matters of great importance and work with each other to take the country forward.
After independence, the confusion regarding the Constitution took centre stage. From the form of the government to the autonomy of the provinces, different questions engaged the minds of the constitution makers.
Pakistan got a delayed constitution and it did not last long either. It took Pakistan 26 years to finally get a constitution.
A comprehensive constitution settles the power debate between the different institutions and compels the institutions to work within their constitutional limits.
But, by the time Pakistan got its final constitution, the debate was settled. The hope of a newly democratic state that would write its destiny was disappearing. The power structure that developed in the initial 26 years saw the mockery of the constitution in the coming years.
As the democratic transitions of governments started to take place in Pakistan lately, the constitution started to hold the status of the most important document in the country.
But the events that took place in the last year have made the Constitution a piece of paper that can be interpreted to benefit those in need.
After 75 years, we have not learned anything. Initially, there was confusion regarding the making of the Constitution and now the confusion is regarding the interpretation of that Constitution.
There is uncertainty regarding the role of every institution. Government, opposition, and other institutions, all are claiming to be the sole protectors and interpreters of the Constitution, and all others as violators of the Constitution. But in reality, the Constitution has defined the role of every institution and its limits.
The stakeholders have not learned the lesson from history. How long it will take to settle the debate is still a mystery. It must not take another 25-26 years to find the solution as Pakistan cannot further remain in chaos. It should be kept in mind that this time there is no external enemy that can be blamed for any mishap, the rift is within and all are responsible and accountable.
Hope is very important for a nation. It gives a nation strength to deal with problems.
Amid the constitutional and political crisis, it is cynicism that has replaced hope. And, to move forward, Pakistan needs an answer to these questions quickly.
