POLITICAL temperature is once again soaring in the country. Amidst sky rocketing prices of essential commodities, the opposition parties are preparing for yet another long march against the PTI government.
In a virtual meeting of the PDM — a multi-party opposition alliance — has decided to launch protests across the country as well as a long march towards the federal capital.
A statement issued after the meeting further stated that this movement would end after sending Prime Minister Imran Khan packing.
Earlier this year, the PPP had parted ways with the PDM yet in recent days the top PML (N) leadership re-engaged the party to give a tough time to PTI government in days ahead.
One saw its first manifestation on Friday’s sessions of both the National Assembly and the Senate when both parties collectively resorted to protests and did not allow the Houses to proceed smoothly and finally sessions were adjourned when quorum was broken.
Indeed it is the democratic right of the opposition parties to raise issues faced by the people both inside and outside Parliament and spell out a way forward to provide relief to them.
Constructive criticism is always welcomed in democracies but aiming to oust a sitting government will neither be any service to democracy nor augur well for country’s economy.
Prices of commodities or our trade deficit will not come down because of departure of one person. The people are already fed-up with these marches that disrupt their lives and businesses.
In these columns we have been stressing for long that there should not be any politics on economy.
Such are our economic woes that all political parties either in the government or in the opposition will have to come together and frame a consensus roadmap to steer the country out of this economic quagmire.
For an agreed charter of economy, the government will have to make a beginning and create an enabling environment for dialogue with the opposition parties setting aside their often-repeated rhetoric of corruption.
No one should doubt the good intent of PM Imran Khan yet at present there is very strong public resentment over unbridled and steep price hike.
As he is left with two years in power, he really will have to put his whole team in full gear to fulfil some of the promises he made in 2018 elections.
