THE no-confidence move is purely a constitutional process but regrettably our political parties seem to be more interested in fighting it out on streets than on the floor of the House.
This became evident when hours after announcement of the ruling PTI that it would bring ‘historic’ one million people to the famous D-Chowk in front of the Parliament House in Islamabad on March 27 on the eve of the voting on the crucial motion, the opposition parties too decided to revive their abandoned plan to organize a march, which would begin on March 23, convert into a sit-in at the D-Chowk and would continue till completion of the voting process on the no-confidence motion.
As PTI leadership had been conveying a message that its public meeting would coincide with the voting process on the motion, it can safely be assumed that the voting would either be held on March 27 or March 28 and with this in view the convergence of two fully charged and hostile crowds could trigger confrontation and violence.
The apprehensions are not without any reason as there are stated objectives of the two sides to try to influence the voting process.
Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry is on record having hurled a veiled threat on the supposedly dissident Members of the National Assembly (MNAs) belonging to PTI saying that they will have to pass through a sea of people before and after casting their votes.
The opposition is mainly banking on these disgruntled members to make its move successful and topple the government and, therefore, its counter-strategy to thwart plans of the ruling party is understandable.
It is known to all that the opposition PDM had announced a march on Islamabad on March 23 weeks before submission of the resolution for vote of no-confidence against the Prime Minister but discarded its programme giving preference to the constitutional process.
A long march, organized by the PPP, also culminated at D-Chowk but the party leadership decided against turning it into a sit-in.
Under these circumstances, it is quite evident that the decision of the joint opposition to revive its march is a reaction to the aggressive plan of the government.
The opposition has categorically stated that it would be gathering its supporters in front of the Parliament House to ensure safe passage for its members so that they could exercise their constitutional right.
The political parties are, no doubt, fully entitled to mobilize public opinion in their favour or in favour of some particular issue and that is why no one objected when the ruling party decided to hold a series of public meetings in different parts of the country.
However, the plan to hold a public meeting and that too in front of the Parliament House and on the eve of the voting on the motion is ill-conceived.
The ruling party can adopt constitutional and legal options to foil the attempt of the opposition to dislodge the Government but it should not lose sight of the fact that it is also a fundamental duty of the government to ensure safety and security of the members and maintenance of peaceful conditions for a democratic process.
Any showdown outside the Parliament House could trigger a chain reaction throughout the country, which would neither be in the interest of the feeble democratic system nor the fragile economy of the country.
The interests of the country must not be imperilled at the altar of petty political gains and that too at a time when we need national unity and cohesion to face internal and external challenges.
Therefore, both the government and the opposition should review their plans, revoke programmes for holding of power show and instead focus on peaceful and legal means to defend their goals in the wake of no-confidence motion.
In fact, there is a need for a political dialogue to sort out the issues involved in a peaceful manner.
The Minister for Information has hinted at the possibility of talks but the offer is non-serious and non-starter as he said the opposition should first withdraw the no-confidence motion and the government would then see what it could offer to the other side in return.
The government should offer something concrete to the opposition in a bid to defuse the political crisis in the country.
