Sheer unconstitutional
The Election Commission has cemented its bias by denying the due share of reserved seats to PTI-backed candidates at the Centre and in provinces. This sheer unconstitutional decision has also confirmed that the respective assemblies were incomplete as they went on to elect their chief executives, and their legitimacy shall sooner than later be in the dock. It was a sheer disappointment to say the least as women and minorities seats allocation this time around went through a jaundiced prism, in contravention of established conventions and precedents, and has certainly weakened the harmony and credibility of the new legislatures. Likewise, as this unfair distribution goes on to influence the presidential poll too, it will be logged as a misnomer to democracy.
This institutional chaos is making room for some severe confrontation on the streets. So is the dilemma on the floor of the house, as tampering of vote on the night of February 8, the controversy involving Form-47 and absence of due relief from judicial forums have pushed the opposition to the wall. As far as the PTI under the Sunni Ittehad banner is concerned, the ECP has delivered a blow of 71 reserved seats. Thus, as the PTI and other opposition factions are mulling long drawn protests, political stability is surely on the rocks. All this is because the Constitution was put at the backburner, and the caretaker administrations exceeded their mandate and limitations. The country is in the grip of constitutional violations since the ballot on May 14, 2023, was put off, setting in a roller-coaster of ultra vires decisions.
The beleaguered Shehbaz government must take cognizance of the political unrest and do some auto-correction to uphold the constitutional writ. This is what the PTI and others are demanding too. With elected dispensations in vogue at the Centre and in provinces, it’s time to come up with a healing touch by releasing all political prisoners, putting an end to victimization and revisiting the reserved seats decision.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 6th, 2024.
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