As we head toward elections

The status quo has been reinstated and the dismantling of PTI is almost complete. Fear remains the dominant order of the day and the chosen method to rule when revolt is imminent. Nevertheless, as it stands, the political landscape of Pakistan has now been upgraded from dangerously unstable to temporarily precarious. “Temporarily” is the keyword here as — and this is by design — the current coalition setup is witnessing an implosion, anticipated to be followed by a tussle for power at the Centre.

A new caretaker PM has been appointed, backed by a technocratic line-up with hopes to push elections till February or March next year. It is an unprecedented moment in our political history for a caretaker government to be given the powers of taking radical decisions, clearly hinting towards the fact that elections will be extended till the desired goals are achieved and, in the meantime, IMF negotiations are not stalled in case further postponement is necessary. ECP’s refusal to issue tentative dates and instead push for what will be a “lengthy” delimitation process further strengths this proposition.

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Nonetheless, precedence after precedence is being set. The bulldozing of legislations, many of which are blatantly unconstitutional and directly encroach on the freedoms of individuals, has proven Pakistan’s democracy to be a farce. This unprecedented legislation spree has not only extended the institutional mandate of certain quarters, but it has also made any form of dissent against the state “illegal”. In other words, if a sudden urge for opposition is ignited in a IK copycat anytime in the future, they will simply be taken down by a mere the press of a button or two. Constitutional developments driven by the whims of a few is nothing new in the country, but the insidious form it has taken currently raises legitimate questions about the integrity of our institutions. Putting the failed experiment to rest has come at a great cost to sovereignty and democracy.

IK however still remains on the chopping block despite IHC providing him temporary relief in the Toshakhana case. The judiciary remains his only saving grace and with the incumbent CJP’s retirement fast approaching, PTI can only pray and hope for a favourable judgement. Meanwhile, the call for elections is now being met by opposing voices that illuminate a clear division between PPP, which wants timely elections, and PML-N, which is preparing the return of their supreme leader. All eyes are fixated on the throne and kingmakers have accelerated their activities to ensure that their representative comes out on top.

Our first contender is the veteran, former three-time Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif who is anxiously awaiting a glorious return to his cherished homeland. In the other corner stands a fresh and dynamic Bilawal Bhutto, the youngest foreign minister of Pakistan, highly eager to prove his mettle. My intuition suggests that the stars have aligned in favour of the young gun because of the careful strategy employed by PPP throughout the entire process, reserving majority of public hate for PML-N. The two choices present two contrasting possibilities, with Bilawal’s outgoing NA speech hinting at deviating from past practices. A lot hangs in the balance for the future of Pakistani politics.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 2^nd, 2023.

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