Enough is enough

The completion of the report into the rigging of the 2013 elections ought to have been the point at which a line was drawn under one of the messier episodes in the political life of the nation. Unfortunately, that does not appear to be the case and the thorny issue of the parliamentary status of the 28 PTI MNAs is the latest impediment to political equanimity. There are currently two motions seeking to unseat the 28 PTI members, both citing their absence from the lower house for more than 40 days. The speaker of the National Assembly has deferred voting for a week as the principal political parties are seeking an out-of-parliament solution.

We would urge our politicians to do just that. However imperfect the verdict on rigging that was given by the Judicial Commission (JC) may be, it has still been, even if grudgingly, accepted by the PTI. While the PTI, with its actions during the ‘dharna period’ of 2014, may have done damage to parliament and its functioning and the economic life of the capital city, it also spurred the government to form the JC, which in turn is likely to lead to much-needed electoral reform. Politicians on all sides need now to stand back and take a deep breath, calm themselves, dial back the rhetoric and get on with the mundane business of actually behaving like members of a mature democratic institution, rather than the bear pit it so often unfortunately resembles. The state needs stability above all else at this time, not another political crisis. The PTI needs to stop throwing its toys around the playpen, and start to grow up. The rest of the political cohort needs to demonstrate maturity and grace under pressure, and give the PTI an object lesson in the best of parliamentary behaviour. Unseating the 28 PTI members will not be the ideal way forward. Difficult as it may be, a line has to be drawn, because if not, then the country plunges once again into the political unknown.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 30^th, 2015.

Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.