Fragmented politics

Dissolution of K-P assembly dependent on outcome of no-confidence motion in Punjab

It was another day of rumour-mongering on the polarisation front. PTI chief Imran Khan apparently had nothing much to add to the woes of his telling tale. As Punjab’s governance hangs at the cliff of uncertainty and an ensuing constitutional discord between the troika of Speaker, the chief minister and the governor, the only credible decision to emerge was the putting off of the decision to dissolve the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly. Its fate has been tied to that of Punjab, depending on the outcome of the no-confidence motion, which is nowhere in sight at the moment. K-P Chief Minister Mahmud Khan’s discreet utterance that his province will go the Punjab way as per Mr Khan’s desire has almost taken steam out of the agitational politics.

The knives, however, are being sharpened as the ruling PDM alliance is surfing options to win back Punjab. A rejoinder from the Governor Punjab castigating the Speaker over his stance on summoning of the house and calling for a vote of confidence from the chief minister has graduated the issues into legal realms. The PTI, nonetheless, took a step back as the much-trumpeted letter to the President of Pakistan seeking his intervention to dislodge the governor was also put off. Likewise, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah was seen taking a pause over his fireworks claim of shunting out Chief Minister Pervez Elahi by force and sealing the CM House. All these peripheral developments hint at a thaw in chest-beating, which could be used as an opportunity in disaster to mend fences and opt for a grand political rapprochement.

The political equation is far from settled, and there seems to be no one-way victory. Even if the PTI goes ahead with dissolving both the provincial legislatures, after winning a vote of confidence in Punjab, the fragmentation on the national canvas will linger on. All it needs is a sustained dialogue process with a bare-minimum agenda of ushering in economic and political stability.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 23^rd, 2022.

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