THERE is no doubt that efforts to topple the Government through no-confidence motion and peaceful rallies and protest marches fall well within the democratic, legal and constitutional schemes of things but it is also a reality that the political uncertainty so triggered badly affects the economy and the developmental process.
This, once again, became evident from what happened on the stock exchange front when the KSE-100 Share Index, the main gauge of the country’s capital market, shed a staggering 1,284.38 points or 2.88% on Monday.
Political crises do emerge in democracies around the world and the issues involved are resolved either on the parliamentary forums or through discussion and dialogue.
However, in Pakistan, differences become matters of personal egos and the extreme positions are adopted by different stakeholders and as a result the country suffers badly.
Unfortunately, there are no neutral heavy-weights in the political arena that could help bridge the differences in the backdrop of deeper polarization.
As the opposition is not showing its all cards, the Prime Minister and his aides are busy trying at damage control but their woes are increasing with the passage of time mainly because of reports about internal rifts within the ruling party.
Aleem Khan, a towering personality of the PTI, has understandably not formally joined any opposition party (as it would have attracted penalty under the defection law) but his joining ranks with the informal Jehangir Tareen group must have sent shock waves within the party.
The Prime Minister has assigned Sindh Governor Imran Ismail and Federal Minister Pervez Khattak the task of sorting out the rift but it all depends on whether and what the PM is willing to accede to.
The situation has become so complicated and alarming that the seasoned politician and PML(Q) leader Pervez Elahi has advised the Prime Minister to take prompt and bold decisions.
It is to be seen to what extent the Prime Minister is willing to go and what the opposition has in store to clear the mist on the political horizon.
