Through the bottleneck?

All those involved in the ongoing political crisis have to compromise somewhere for this impasse to end.


Editorial August 25, 2014

Whichever side your sympathies lie, the government’s assertion that it is willing to accept all but one demand made by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan should be taken as a positive development — a rare one at that amidst this unrelenting standoff between protestors and the government.

Though it seems even longer, the protests have continued for 12 long days — holding hostage not only the state but the entire country at a time where we are confronted with a number of other pressing issues. Until a few days ago, there was no end in sight — particularly since the government was stubborn in its reluctance to negotiate. However, the formation of two negotiating committees by the government to speak to the PTI and Dr Tahirul Qadri’s Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) has provided some of a breakthrough, as has the protesters’ willingness to talk. Although it is probably too soon to get hopes up too high, it is difficult not to be positive about the breaking of the ice between the two sides at least giving some sort of shape and form to a possible solution. The points that the government has ostensibly agreed to merit repetition, for they are no small matters.

They include the formation of a judicial commission to investigate whether or not the 2013 general elections had been rigged (although the prime minister had already agreed to this in an address to the nation on August 12); that, if rigging is proved, fresh elections would be held. The appointment of a ‘non-controversial’ head of the National Database Registration Authority (Nadra), as well as an Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) secretary and of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). There should be daily hearing of the judicial commission and completion of investigation in 30 days, and for findings of the commission not to be in the form of recommendations but, instead, should issue directions to parties concerned; FIRs be registered in the Model Town clashes case, as per the findings of the Lahore sessions judge. Other, older demands, which would obviously only happen if evidence of large-scale rigging is found, include re-election after dissolution of assemblies; the formation of an impartial caretaker set-up with consensus of all political forces; electoral reforms (for which a committee has already been set up); resignation of all members of the ECP and finally that all those found guilty of rigging should be put on trial under Article 6 of the Constitution.

The one demand that is the sticking point is obviously the main one: that of the resignation of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. But even in this demand, there has been a relatively realistic reconfiguration that now calls for the premier to resign for 30 days — the period during which investigations take place into allegations of rigging in the 2013 elections. That bodes well for all parties, but the reality is that all involved will have to compromise somewhere for this impasse to end. Prolonging things will only increase differences and run the risk of irreparable and insurmountable damage. Then there is the threat of this issue spiralling out of control and engulfing other areas — the biggest risk which comes from undemocratic, and indeed anti-democratic, forces, which loom large in this country and are beginning to take advantage of the situation by giving it a dangerous hue.

One must appreciate the effort of some political forces in the country that have remained neutral and scrambled back and forth to defuse the crisis and bring both (or shall we say, all three) parties to the negotiating table. In this regard, former president Asif Ali Zardari’s assertions after he met Prime Minister Sharif on Saturday merit contemplation. No stranger to handling and surviving political controversies during the five-year tenure of his party, Zardari urged that the only way forward in a democracy was “dialogue, dialogue, dialogue.” Both sides would be wise to heed his words.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 26th, 2014.

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COMMENTS (1)

salman | 9 years ago | Reply

Wow, PTI seems to have negotiated a lot. Will be important that the SC judicial inquiry is truly independent, otherwise we will end up back to square one.

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