The ball is in the court of the politicians

Gallup survey shows 99% of people think present caretaker government is corrupt

When these lines are published, Pakistanis will be preparing to step out of their homes to cast their votes in the 11^th General Election. According to the latest Gallup survey, ten out of seven Pakistanis have no trust in the honesty of these elections. That is obvious because the survey also tells us that 99% of people think the present caretaker government is corrupt. Both these findings suggest that the results of the February 8^th elections will once again become a matter of contention, leading the country to new political divisions. Other troubling findings are the visuals from Lahore showing five thousand rupees in cheques and cash being given to potential voters against a promise to vote for the party, giving them financial relief in this economically distressed condition. In short, there is already a big question mark on the legitimacy of the next government.

Another problem is the IK factor. Having lost the election symbol, his party’s candidates are running the contest with multiple electoral symbols and as independents. While those in cities may find it easy to vote for the correct candidates using smartphones or other means of awareness, those in rural areas are expected to become victims of electoral manipulations. Already, with IK convicted in three cases for over 30 years in jail and the top PTI leadership facing cases over the May 9^th skirmishes, the air is rife with pre-poll rigging allegations. Add to these propositions the signaling, rather the claims, from the political parties about their chances of forming the next government. Lately, full-page adverts appeared in leading newspapers with banner headlines claiming that Mian Nawaz Sharif will be the next prime minister. Shehbaz Sharif openly told the army chief to consider his brother for the premiership slot. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has also indicated forming the government with the help of independents. Many political pundits think this refers to the PTI candidates, who could be roped in to side with the PPP.

These are all troubling facts, and the question is: Will the next government find smooth sailing, or will it be business as usual? A more pertinent question is whether Pakistan will survive the political shocks if the electoral results are not accepted and political agitation returns to the streets.

Pakistan is passing through one of the most challenging times of its history. Internally, political instability has stalled economic development, whereas, on borders, Pakistan’s security forces are engaged in a fierce conflict with Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, who have the support of the Afghan interim government in Kabul. This vulnerable situation requires a unified leadership that can look beyond its petty interests. For the army, which has been repeatedly accused of political interference, the time is right to hand over the political command to the politicians without fear that the country’s security will be compromised. Pakistan will not recover from political trauma unless this kind of trust is built.

While every actor in the power game is supposed to lower their guard, the biggest responsibility falls on the shoulders of politicians. They have to learn to co-exist. They have to learn to walk the talk. People greatly respected Imran Khan and believed in his anti-status quo stance. He promised introducing a politics of merit and a system that would discourage elite capture and make accountability its central theme. That was not to be. No sooner than he rose to power did he break his promise instantly with the selection of Usman Buzdar as the chief minister of Punjab. Later, he is on record saying he did not have a team to run the government. He backed off from his promise to make police and judicial reforms; in fact, he joined hands with those who had started a malicious campaign against Justice Qazi Faez Isa. If that was not enough, he appointed the so-called electables to key positions. These were the same people whom he had been condemning for plundering and looting Pakistan. He took the politics of hatred and venom to a new height on the assumption that he was the only saviour the country had. He did not resist glorifying the role of the army in politics. In short, IK’s entire political journey in power became a story of compromises. He was trying to build the state of Madina with the ingredients used for building a fascist and corrupt regime. Worse, he distanced himself from those party workers who had invested their time and capital in him. IK, in fact, made a conscious effort to turn his friends into Brutus. How is it possible that IK came to know after coming to power that those who were showering money on his political campaigns had ill-gotten wealth? He saw his friends land in jail without any remorse. Worse, he could not see whether due process was followed while he allowed the law to take its course. The judicial reports on the wheat and oil crises went nowhere. No one was convicted. Even when he was removed through a vote of no-confidence, instead of showing political maturity, he forced his parliamentarians to leave assemblies, take over street agitation and build a pressure group that was busted miserably on May 9^th.

Pakistan deserves better leadership with the wherewithal to build this country with the right mix of values embedded in constitutional democracy.

Yes, the ball is in the court of the political leaders. They will have to take the responsibility of bringing peace and stability to the country by first bringing peace and stability among themselves and rising above their petty self-interests.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 8^th, 2024.

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