The return of Shehbaz

In one of the most divisive and contestable parliaments, Shehbaz Sharif has been elected as the 24th Prime Minister of Pakistan. This is his second tenure, and incidentally is a repeat of his previous coalition government with the same partners and same memento. The recast of PDM2, however, has come with extreme political instability since its inception, and the controversy of ballot tampering and the litigations of Form 45 will keep it on tenterhooks. On the other hand, the entire opposition strata inside and out of the assembly are rallying for protests, and unwilling to concede. This volatility will leave little room for the bandwagon of the treasury to look into real issues of economic revival as well as indispensable socio-administrative reforms.

There is no death of misgivings, however, as the new parliament gets down to business. It is quite unfortunate that the Election Commission held back awarding of reserved seats as the new chief executive was elected, and this is tantamount to violation of the Constitution. Indeed, for reasons of proximity and vested political consideration this move was undertaken and it will surely cast its long shadows of illegality in weeks and months to come. It seems, nonetheless, that the reserved seats enigma will be prolonged till the presidential vote on March 9, sealing the fate of legislatures’ transparency and credibility. Perhaps, this is why the JUI-F chief casted aspersions on the fairness of the general elections, and the parliament that has come into being. He had a point as he uttered that “democracy is losing its case and the parliament is losing its value”.

The February 8 elections have changed the politics in the country for all times to come. The awareness that has been stirred in the rank and file of the nation, as they have learnt to value their vote and mandate, will keep on pushing for responsible and accountable political dispensations. Moreover, it will no longer be a walkover for any new government, either at the Centre or in the provinces, to brush real issues under the carpet, and this should be counted as one of the most celebrated achievements of democratic reawakening. The mushrooming of technology, coupled with extensive usage of social media, along with the narrative of change that was set rolling by the ousted PTI deserves some due credit.

With Shehbaz grabbing 201 votes against Omer Ayub’s 92 in the voting held yesterday, one statistical aspect was noticeable. The elected Independents under the PTI banner held their ground, and there wasn’t any horse-trading. Likewise, the day also saw the beleaguered PTI limp back to normalcy as it successfully held its intra-party elections, consolidating its identity on the radar of the electoral module. With pundits of doom pronouncing somersaults in days and weeks to come, politicians across the board have a responsibility to shoulder: stand for the rule of law and deliver to the nation.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, March 4^th, 2024.

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