System reset

There are a few givens: One, that following November 2021 - some would argue the cracks had begun before that in the summer - the system had broken down, whatever name we called it by. One party, the PTI, had broken ranks and was beginning to assert itself free of the other partner, the Establishment. Starting in April 2022, the country was hurled into a cycle of instability and disaffection which continues to belabour every facet of the national structure and character despite all attempts at force-stopping the dysfunction. Two, the system calculated for itself a period of benign and uninterrupted opportunity which it hopes will give it the time to chaperon most activities like social and political stability, security and economic viability back on a more sustainable base. There can be questions if indeed it is the Establishment's role at all to mind any of these, but the time for it is long past and it is now a given reality.

If indeed we agree to this formulation, the making of which is obvious with a new government since February 2024 and constitutional and institutional restructuring aimed at serving the cause of restitution in critical facets, it needs to be examined how may it be achieved at all. The breakdown isn't repairing and the ruptures continue to blight the social, economic and political environment. There are bigger issues that stare us in the face and will need a national consensus on how to address those. How do we assure the world of the suitability to invest in the economy? How do we show a more coherent face to the world in the face of such a fractious and polarised sociopolitical environment? Are we even a stable and predictable system? Should we contribute forces in an external venture laden with incalculable risks? How do we proceed with a difficult neighbour in Afghanistan? In the current crisis of credibility, every decision will seem to smack of impunity and reek of institutional hubris, further complicating the context. The promised respite just does not arrive.

One thought that rode the minds of those at the helm when political fracas erupted was to somehow emplace a single-party rule like in China and achieve what would have been improvised stability. There were frequent mentions of it in the final months of PTI's tenure and in casual pronouncements from Establishment bigwigs in interactions with the media. It never came to it, for the Constitution was a hurdle, as was the national sentiment but it turned into a reality of sorts when PTI was replaced with what became known as the PDM (Pakistan Democratic Movement). It was a hurriedly concocted assembly of political parties and personalities who would serve the cause of a coherent, compliant and non-adversarial set-up to run national affairs till a more permanent structure was put in place. A national government began to be spoken of as a possibility. In the absence of PTI - not willing to play ball with the Establishment, burdened by its broken relations and a premature end to its tenure - a national government of sorts was put in place following the 2024 elections with what was left on the political platter.

A constantly weakening economic state of the country has been a fearful thought to the stakeholders which has almost always principally meant the Establishment and not the political heads, for some reason. The entire construct thus which is called the hybrid set-up, especially after the February 2024 elections is aimed at achieving those ends - a unified government, the closest it can be to a national government minus the PTI; coordinated decision-making on critical issues like the economy and foreign policy; the length of time needed to get all back on rail; and structures that will mitigate and neutralise any challenge to the set-up to help recovery and restitution. The PTI, however, would not relent and continues to desist, resist and harken parallel voices against what it terms extreme manipulation of the political environment in favour of the few. The formation of the TTAP, a motley group of those on the outside of the present political prescription which includes the PTI, will remain a thorn in the side of the entire construct for ends which may be noble in intent but violate the principles that underwrite democratic traditions.

It is not clear that we may indeed be able to realise the objectives the hybrid set-up has set out to achieve (one hopes they do), but to give it our best shot, let's agree on some essential ends that this nation must meet for its sustainable security and stability. Those should include a credible, reliable and an incorruptible election system under a truly neutral election commission - this is a sine qua non for the credibility and integrity of a democratic political set-up (nothing resets a broken political system quicker than a fair election); a review of all mutations and re-tweaking of the Constitution by the Parliament that will carry the genuine voice of the people and will not be an improvised collusion; free and fair opportunity to all to practise their politics under the condition that what is will sustain till 2029, but will revert itself to a truly democratic structure at the next election in 2029. All parties will, in the meantime, agree to a reconciliation process where an undertaking to not repeat omissions and commissions of the past will be made; neither will those be invoked to seek revenge under political or institutional disdain.

To that end, the PTI must be brought into the system and reconciled as a full partner in a fully inclusive unity government. We need all political players to agree to this prescription for the next five years of uninterrupted and undisturbed time in power to enable sound and credible policies with a reliability and predictability that all investors and partners, external and internal, can respect. Each major party has a province to manage. This will afford them the time, attention and resources for an equitable and effective governance which can greatly eliminate disaffection and forge better cohesiveness. All cases against political personalities must be ceased for those are alleged to be politically motivated and parochially directed. Imran Khan can be asked to act as the patron and senior guide to his party in the same vein as Nawaz Sharif. In 2029, if they so wish they can both, health permitting, reinitiate their politics and vie for the highest office.

If such understanding cannot forge stability and predictability, nothing else ever will. Similarly, if we continue our current course, society will disintegrate, the economy will collapse, and the nation's integrity and sovereignty will remain a pipe dream. No force will be able to stop the rot. We must work with well-defined, limited objectives and use the available time with all resources at hand - men and material - to repair the ruptures that befoul our future. It will return promise and hope to a despondent people.