Is banning PTI right thing to do?

Experts weigh in on the ruling coalition’s ‘knee-jerk reaction’ to SC verdict

ISLAMABAD:

The PML-N-led government’s decision to ban the PTI and initiate high treason proceedings against its top leadership and its subsequent struggle to garner support of its leaders and allies on the question highlight how a hasty reaction can lead to significant political turmoil.

The government announced banning the biggest ruling party after the Supreme Court on July 12 deprived the ruling coalition of additional reserved seats in the National Assembly and allotted them to the PTI, furthering the political instability if not “constitutional meltdown”, as put by Defence Minister Khawaja Asif.

Now the question arises if it is the right move by the PML-N government to counter a political rival this way. Some political experts feel the PML-N’s hasty announcement shows that neither it has any strategy nor the means to counter the PTI in the political battlefield.

They said the PML-N might have made the announcement “after being asked to do so”, adding that the government must learn from other powers that are facing similar challenges, including populism.

Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency (Pildat) President Ahmed Bilal Mehboob said if the PML-N-led government is trying to ban the PTI just to counter a political rival then it is a very useless and dangerous move.

However, the Pildat chief noted, if they really have some substance and solid evidence against the party then it is not just their right but duty to bring it before the Supreme Court and seek action against the PTI. “But a political action will be extremely nonsense and dangerous,” he said.

Commenting on how the government reacted soon after the Supreme Court deprived it of the reserved seats in the National Assembly, he said it may be a knee-jerk reaction but he did not rule out the possibility of this being not the decision of the party at all.

Referring to different voices coming within the party, he said there does not seem to be a consensus within the party about banning the PTI and that shows that it is not a decision made by the party itself.

“However, it may also be a knee-jerk reaction,” he said, emphasizing that it was just an impression and not information. “They might also have been told to do it right now, and they complied.”

In democracies, Mehboob said, there is only one way to counter the political rival and that is by making better appeal to the masses, to bring something more attractive, more acceptable, more appealing to the people and do something which people might appreciate.

Mehboob said the PML-N must communicate to people whatever they are doing in an effective manner, saying so far people have not seen the PML-N communicating with people in an effective manner as either they are silent or speak more than one thing at a time.

Currently, he said, the ruling coalition is giving different messages and their social media effectiveness is very low. They need to communicate better and convince people that they are the best people. That is the only way to counter political rivals. That is how it is done in democracies all over the world, he said.

Prof Tahir Naeem Malik of the NUML University said the world is facing populism as a challenge but it did not straightaway go for banning far-right or populist parties.

“Instead they are countered through democratic dispensation and institutional response. Pakistan is also dealing with similar challenges and it should learn from the global trend,” he said.

The professor noted that “political exclusion” has long remained an issue in Pakistan, recalling how other parties faced it, especially the National Awami Party was banned by a PPP government and the decision was validated by the Supreme Court.

Nevertheless, he said, it was counterproductive and not the right move.

Professor Malik pointed out that the government had an upper hand on the PTI as it could manage the situation through stringent means, laws and processes

“Even the elections were somehow managed too but then the Supreme Court made it feel like the government is weak. Thus, the government responded to the judicial response to change the perception that it has become weak.

“The PML-N doesn’t have any strategy; Mian Sahib [Nawaz Sharif] is silent; Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is a good manager but he is unable to deal with the on ground political challenges. Mian Sahib’s silence also strengthens the notion that he is with the setup but doesn’t have any strategy to counter the challenges,” he said.

In conclusion, Professor Malik while referring to the PPP’s mixed reaction said the PPP has got several advantages in the current situation, saying it can increase its share and take benefit from the crisis instead of swiftly resolving it.