Pakistan is facing serious political crises for formation of federal government after the Elections-2024, where no political party could attain even a simple majority. The initial understanding between two major political parties, Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) for the formation of a coalition government in the Centre seems crumbling due to self-centeredness and internal disruptive politics against each other. Indeed, both political parties want to enjoy the perks and privileges of remaining in the power but, none is ready to accept the blame, in the event of a failure.
In this entire game plan, PPP having only 54 seats in National Assembly is playing smart through a number of manipulations like; a) promising to support PML-N in the formation of Central Government but not accepting the miniseries, a clear intent of exploiting them as and when required, b) asking for some key slots like President of Pakistan, Speaker of National Assembly and Chairman Senate, through a ruse of controlling both houses of Parliament and Federation of Pakistan as the President, c) through a strong control of the two houses and Presidency, PPP can easily manipulate the weak PML-N Government through an in house change for establishing government of its own political outfit at a convenient time. In a way, PPP is manipulating for its gains at the cost of bringing political stability in the country for its own petty gains. This is very unfortunate and upsetting on the part of hereditary based political parties in Pakistan. They can play with country for attainment of their own petty gains, as it was witnesses in the General Elections of 1970, where a minority political party refused to accept the mandate of a majority political party that resulted into disintegration of Pakistan. Regretfully, people still remember founder of that political party as a great leader of Pakistan and his followers has again created a crisis situation for Pakistan in 2024.
The Pakistani media and interim government didn’t question the meeting which took place between Chairman of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Zardari and United States Ambassador to Pakistan Donald Blome on February 12, 2024, a few days after the conduct of General elections-2024. Mr Bilawal was neither the foreign minister nor having any portfolio in the interim Government. What message he wanted to give through this meeting, perhaps bringing the country to a more political instability and economic down-fall as we are witnessing today if he is not given the power? Indeed, in the post-election scenarios, PPP is playing a double game for attaining power in the Centre. Otherwise, there was nothing to discuss with US Ambassador about formation of Government in the Centre with 54 seats of National Assembly.
The people of Pakistan voted for a positive change through General Elections-2024. The financially impoverished masses of the economically ruined Pakistan wanted political stability in the country, since political stability could have brought economic stability in the country. The huge numbers of the voters who came out on the day of election; February 8, 2024 wanted to see a strong Pakistan from all aspect; political, social, economic and strategic. They wanted to get rid of sequential foreign dictates, foreign loans and foreign exploitations. The voters desired that, sovereignty and integrity of Pakistan should be respected as a strong ideological state with a spotless and professional military having nuclear status.
Indeed, the people of Pakistan are tired-off the political wrangling and bad governance, which they experienced in last seven decades that has made Pakistan a joke at regional and global level. Indeed, the masses feel that enough has been done by ruling elites of Pakistan in last seventy-six years and now it is high time to bring stability in the country by respecting the mandate of the people. Almost all political forces of Pakistan have not come up to the expectations of the masses. They have exploited the masses and brought Pakistan at the verge of economic collapse and political ruin which cannot be tolerated, after all the people of Pakistan desire restoration of their dignity at two levels; a) dignity of their state (Pakistan) and b) an element of self-respect and honour as a Pakistani national for everyone at home and abroad.
The General Election-2024 have rejected some traditionally strong political forces and patterns of politics in entire Pakistan; a) there has been a defeat of sub-nationalists in almost all the provinces of Pakistan, giving a message that, the people has decided to live together in an atmosphere of unity and in an harmonious Pakistani society, b) there has been a rejection of religio-political elites in the country, giving a strong message that do not divide and exploit the people of Pakistan on religious and sectarian basis, c) there have been a general rejection of hereditary politics in the country, conveying a strong message that, everyone in Pakistan has the right over the politics of their motherland, and above all d) there have were defeat of traditionalists who wanted to continue with tribal and family politics by keeping the people slaves of their wishes, the message is that Pakistan and Pakistanis has the right to develop their country in-line with modern developed world as enunciated by father of the nation, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and embedded in the constitution of Pakistan. Once results of General Election-2024 have been announced therefore, as a way forward, let’s formulate a National Consensus Government (NCG) in the Centre consisting of all political parties and elected representatives; giving them representation in a proportionate manner. This formula should be implemented in letter and in spirit without any alienation and discrimination. — The writer is Professor of Politics and IR at International Islamic University, Islamabad.
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views expressed are writer’s own.
