Dangerous designs

EDITORIAL: The tug of war between PTI (Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf) and the ruling PDM (Pakistan Democratic Movement) alliance about holding immediate elections or delaying them beyond the constitutionally stipulated time needs to come to an end; for the sake of the country and its people.

Already, this standoff has caused too much political and economic uncertainty for too long, which has pushed the country to the very edge.

All things considered, it’s a big shame that Pakistan’s leading political parties and senior-most politicians are at each other’s throats when only unified and concerted hard work can save it from outright financial collapse. They are, therefore, guilty of driving away what little investment was still willing to come to the local market because even in such trying times they are incapable of putting bigger interests ahead of their own.

That is why the chatter from the most recent PDM huddle, that the ruling coalition is seriously considering delaying elections in the two dissolved provincial assemblies, is cause for yet more concern. As a response, the PTI has announced that it would soon launch a movement by its workers to court arrest for acceptance of their demand for immediate free and fair elections.

All this would further exacerbate polarisation that will surely rub the equity and currency markets the wrong way. And then we will need foreign assistance even more urgently, and much more of it considering how consistent devaluation is driving up the rupee value of our foreign currency debt.

But this knot isn’t really that hard to untie, especially if we are willing to follow the constitution in letter and spirit. The party that wants early elections, because it is riding a wave of public approval, and the side that wants to delay them endlessly, because their ratings are at a record low, must be made to follow constitutional requirements. That, of course, means holding provincial elections in the vacated assemblies within 90 days and going for the general vote when the current administration’s term expires.

PTI has had enough time to realise that its calls for a snap election have fallen on deaf ears. And since it is not possible to force a vote through public demonstrations alone, it will be better off preparing for it when it comes, instead of spreading needless controversy about all stakeholders, including sensitive state institutions, who don’t see things its way. PDM, on the other hand, would have also understood by now that delaying tactics are not doing its battered reputation any good. Far from it, actually, as PTI is able to leverage its social media legions to spread poison about PDM’s real intentions.

Ordinarily, there’s nothing wrong with taking public positions and putting up demands that do not violate the law. But in such times, when the country’s very survival is at stake, it does not behoove the political elite to create the kind of chaos that benefits nobody in the long run.

Sadly, nothing but their own selfish interest has ever been too high on their agenda. But there’s only so far any absurdity can be allowed to go on. Elections have clearly become the number one debating point in this country. And the right thing to do is to hold them as and when the constitution demands it.

All parties must, therefore, prepare accordingly. There must be no more talk of pulling them to an earlier date or keep pushing them away in the hope of more suitable circumstances. It ought to be as simple as that. Let the constitution decide.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023