KARACHI:
Since former Prime Minister Imran Khan was removed from power through a no-confidence vote, the country has faced severe political turbulence. Resultantly, the economy also took a hit as inflation continued to surge while the value of the rupee kept declining. The experienced administration of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif struggled to pull the country out of the economic turmoil. As always, they sought the International Monetary Fund’s assistance with a bailout package.
After being ousted, Imran Khan promulgated a narrative of treachery and accused the current government of colluding with foreign powers to come into power. This isn’t the first time that we are witnessing a political crisis. In fact, Pakistan has a history of controversial politics. In the late 1990s, PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif refused to accept the authority of the then Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, which is how he rose to power.
The situation remains the same; the government in the biggest province and at the Centre are at loggerheads with each other and are unwilling to recognise their equal legitimacy, which is the biggest factor leading to the economic crunch. The question is: can the country afford further political crisis due to the confrontation in Punjab? The government and opposition need to set their political differences aside and instead work for the development and welfare of the country.
Javed Panhyar
Kandhkot
Published in The Express Tribune, August 20th, 2022.
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