
KARACHI:
Political developments in the past year have dissipated all the optimism and disillusioned the masses from the democratic process. The caretaker governments in Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa were supposed to hold elections within the due time for the successful transitioning of power to an elected government. However, interim setup continues to function in both provinces after the constitutionally stipulated time frame in brazen violation of the Constitution.
To make matters worse, they are taking policy-level decisions, which fall within the domain of the elected government. The cabinet members of interim setups are supposed to belong to neutral backgrounds so no political party can doubt the transparency of elections under their watch. However, most of the cabinet members in K-P belong to political parties associated with the ruling coalition at the Centre, and they openly conduct election campaigns. Hence, one can safely assume that the opposition parties will not accept the election result in this highly seemingly one-sided and polarised environment.
In addition to that, the ruling coalition is contemplating passing a bill through Parliament aimed at widening the powers of the caretaker government. However, political analysts have warned that the move may affect the interim setup allowing it to function beyond the mandated time frame with extraordinary powers. These measures are not only further eroding people’s trust in the democratic process, but they also signal forthcoming political upheaval.
Asad Aziz
Khushab
Published in The Express Tribune, August 3rd, 2023.
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