No takers for the hot seat
Even 10 days after the ballot, formation of government is nowhere in sight. The struggle for power is getting intense and, ironically, for the first time none of the contenders are willing to take the hot seat. This lethargy is prevalent at the Centre, as well as in Punjab and Balochistan, where post-ballot rigging claims and distortion of mandate has led to a puzzling equation. Sindh and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa are the only forts where there is a smooth-sailing. With protests gathering momentum across the country, and bombshells of pre-and-post poll irregularities being dropped on a daily basis, the situation is fraught with serious consequences. Any miscalculation and going over the brink by the political parties could lead to extra-constitutional intervention, and this is what is feared as people are drawing parallels of the existing situation with the 1977 post-electoral chaos.
The PTI-backed Independent candidates, despite holding a lion’s share in the National Assembly, seem to be more convinced for a role in opposition. Yet they are unrelenting in giving up their claim for the seats allegedly taken away from them and have come out with a ‘white paper’ before the international media. Likewise, the Rawalpindi Commissioner’s confession that he was at the helm of affairs in tampering the vote across his district has dropped many jaws, and some heads are likely to roll. This revelation has come at a time when the PTI has issued an online testimony of Form-45 details, substantiating its majority at polls, and the international audience is demanding a thorough inquiry into the lopsidedness of the electoral process.
The plot, nonetheless, thickens as a petition will also come up for hearing at the Supreme Court tomorrow, wherein it has been pleaded that the results of the February 8 ballot be declared null and void, and a subsequent ballot be held within 30 days. This is untenable and comes as a snub to the verdict of the masses. A judicious intervention by the Lords is desired to uphold the sanctity of the ballot, and address charges of ballot tampering as per law.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 18th, 2024.
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