THE 16th National Assembly began its five year tenure on Thursday with the oath-taking of the newly elected members but it was a noisy start conveying a vivid impression about what is in store for the otherwise supreme institution. Freedom of expression including peaceful protest is fundamental right in any democratic polity but regrettably our law-makers, who are supposed to be role model, have miserably failed to conduct themselves in a responsible, decent and reasonable manner and in case lessons are not learnt Parliament is unlikely to establish its credentials as the champion of democracy and guardian of national interests.
People of Pakistan legitimately complain that Parliament miserably failed to play its role in resolving chronic problems of the people and the country mainly because of infighting among political parties and inability of the members to focus on their basic responsibilities and duties. During the 2013-18 era of PML(N), Parliament was not allowed to function properly due to chaotic behaviour of PTI both inside Parliament and outside. It organized violent marches on Islamabad and staged the longest ever sit-in outside Parliament House in the capital which almost kept the entire system including the judiciary paralyzed. It dubbed opponents thieves and the politics of accusations and allegations continued even after assumption of power by the party after 2018 elections, the legitimacy of which was challenged by opponents citing deliberate break-down of the Result Transmission System (RST) to the benefit of the PTI. The opposition was pushed to the wall as almost all known political and parliamentary figures remained behind the bars during the PTI tenure. The then opposition was ready to cooperate with the government in resolving problems confronting the nation but the PTI leadership adopted an insulting attitude towards its opponents. Today, the party is facing similar challenges as were encountered by the PML(N) and the PPP and its leadership is incarcerated on charges of corruption and misuse of authority and power. Analysts appreciated PTI for not exercising the option of boycott and instead it participated in almost all electoral processes giving them due legitimacy despite its narrative of massive rigging in the latest elections. It must be borne in mind that irrespective of the fact that a party has achieved its electoral objectives or not, the mandate given to all parties must be respected. Both treasury and opposition benches are part of the system and they are supposed to perform their roles strictly in accordance with the Constitution and the law. You are free to wage a democratic struggle to achieve your goals but the tendency to shake the system if you have not reached the corridors of power is regrettable. The PTI committed a blunder by leaving the Assembly and dissolving the provincial assemblies of Punjab and KP but now its return to the assemblies is being welcomed by all saner elements. However, there should be a clear difference between airing of grievances and the democratic decency. You cannot earn respect for your leadership if you wave shoes or throw objects on leaders of other parties. It was also loathsome to see that the visitors sitting in galleries also raised slogans for and against political parties and leaders. Similarly, the opposition was entitled to agitate its point of view about allocation of reserved seats for women and minorities but it should not be used to make Parliament dysfunctional. The tendency to attach premature expiry tags to the tenure of an assembly, which has just begun its journey, is also reflective of the overall negative mindset of most of our political leadership and parliamentarians. This mindset is also highlighted by developments like writing uncalled-for letters to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and inviting foreign countries to interfere in the internal affairs of Pakistan. Unfortunately, instead of joining hands in fulfilling the expectations of people of Pakistan, these politicians are making mockery of the mandate of the people. Politics doesn’t mean lust for power but doing something concrete for the good of the people and the country.
