Taking stock of the year gone by since that fateful night when the PDM’s no-confidence vote against the then-PTI government succeeded with a razor-thin majority after a month-long political drama, it is tempting to arrive at an overall assessment that politics has become even more divisive, economy even more vulnerable and the country even more ungovernable. The descent, which was already in motion, did not reverse – rather, it has become worse on several counts. And there is plenty of blame going around.
On this anniversary (fateful or joyful, depending on one’s leanings), the partisans are busy claiming the year past as their own. The ousted ones are pointing at seriously troublesome economic indicators as testimony for their assertion that the so-called ‘regime change conspiracy’ brought only dark days for the country. The incumbents still contend that they sacrificed political capital not for personal/party gain but to save the country from ‘default,’ which, in their opinion, was imminent under the previous government.
Only the public can settle their arguments, but elections may not be in the offing. The PTI, which during its own time in the government never agreed to hold early parliamentary elections as the PML-N was popular then, gave up its own Punjab government few months ago just to force nationwide elections and cash in on its anti-establishment narrative. The PML-N, which is afraid of a public shellacking that may severely shrink its electoral footprint, has resorted to delaying tactics to buy time and heal its prospects.
As politicians butt their heads with their hither-to-favorite institutions amidst cost-of-living crisis and a stagnating economy, the ordinary folks are right in wondering if there is a re-set button, an off switch that can provide some relief, a break from the miseries of inflation and all the political chaos around them. Au contraire, there is a sinking feeling taking hold that there is nobody really in control, that no state organ that can rise above the din, call truce among warring factions and pave way for a grand political bargain.
As political gridlock is expected to worsen and economic challenges become well-entrenched and further erode earnings and living standards of middle and low-income families, it is difficult to foresee folks feeling good about the direction of the country a year from now. No matter when elections are held and no matter which party takes the helm again, it is going to be difficult to recover from such lows until deep-rooted economic reforms and governance improvements are rolled out in earnest, without wasting time. For that, it is important that the collective wisdom derives the right lessons from the past twelve months.
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