A day after the ruling PTI lost the first phase of local government elections in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa to JUI(F), the Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry termed the development as ‘unfortunate’ and expressed dismay over victory of the religious party.
Talking to newsmen in Islamabad on Tuesday, he claimed that the country will plunge deeper into turmoil in the absence of the PTI and if parties like Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) and JUI-F come into power.
The logic given by the Minister is the same that some rulers coined in their bid to get legitimacy for their rule from the outside world.
They claimed that their departure from the scene could push the country deeper into the quagmire of extremism and terrorism.
This thinking and self-serving argument dented the overall soft image of the country in the comity of nations for petty motives and considerations. Pakistan is an Islamic Republic and a democratic polity and all parties including those with religious identity are fully entitled to do politics and govern a part or the entire country if so mandated by the people.
It is also a no crime if a party believes in the Islamic code of life and wants to rule the country as per commands of Almighty Allah and Sunnah of the Holy Prophet (PBUH). MMA formed governments in KP (then NWFP) and Balochistan and neither violated the spirit of the Constitution nor fanned extremism.
PTI is still holding reins of the provincial government in KP and JUI(F) has only won the local polls and that too in some areas and not the entire province. Such allegations harm national unity and embitter the political environment and, therefore, need to be avoided.
A saner approach would be to improve governance and adopt an all-encompassing approach to transform Pakistan into a genuine replica of the State of Madinah.
