NO doubt, PPP Chairperson and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari is quite young and not as experienced as the majority of others but he delivered a thought-provoking address in the National Assembly on Tuesday and the points he raised must not be taken lightly by politicians and other stakeholders in the system. As the Assembly is completing its constitutionally-mandated term, Bilawal implored his father (former President Asif Ali Zardari) and former Prime Minister Mian Nawaz Sharif to take decisions that will make politics easier for the younger generation which was losing hopes in the future of the country. He emphasized the need for political unity and reconciliation and wanted all institutions to work in their domains.
Bilawal has legitimately pointed out that the future of democracy rested on strict adherence to the Constitution but it is also a reality that the otherwise sacred document is interpreted by different stakeholders differently and even the judiciary miserably failed to uphold its sanctity because of its allegedly partisan conduct. Unlike the tactics used in the past to destabilize governments through long marches and sit-ins, PML(N), PPP, JUI(F) and their other coalition partners deserved appreciation for adopting the legal and constitutional course of no-confidence for removing the then Prime Minister and dislodging the PTI Government but the other side, regrettably, did not accept the process open heartedly and instead preferred dubious approaches to counter the move and then tried to discredit the entire process through the force of false narratives. The free for all strategy not only landed the PTI itself in deep trouble but polarized the society further. In the prevailing conditions, elections with or without PTI are unlikely to have a soothing effect on the political environment or smooth running of the state. Therefore, senior politicians, who could not so far contribute to the national reconciliation, should listen to the appeal of Bilawal and carve out a strategy that sparks confidence among masses about the future of the country. It is also time that all institutions confine their role to what is envisaged in the Constitution as good governance would remain an elusive dream in case of continued tug of war for powers and influence.
