Opposition’s antics prove much ado about nothing
The PTI zealots seemed annoyed over the vote counting in a constituency for the Punjab Assembly in Lahore.
Street agitation is a legitimate and at times politically necessary part of democratic struggle. It must have clearly defined objective though. In this context, I prefer not to empathize with the fury of Imran Khan’s diehard supporters these days.
In the previous week, we had enthusiastically watched by-elections in more than 40 constituencies of the national and provincial assemblies across Pakistan. Never in this country’s political history had such elections generated so much heat and interest. It was always taken for granted that the sitting governments would ensure victory for their nominees. Why bother then? Things proved radically different this time.
The PML-N could not stop Asad Umar of the PTI from reaching the National Assembly from an Islamabad seat vacated by Javed Hashmi. The PTI candidate won in the capital, though the party lost two of its national assembly seats that Imran Khan had bagged from Peshawar and Mianwali with a huge margin on May 11, 2013. Notwithstanding his reputation of being a hands-on manager with the theatrics of a budding populist, Shahbaz Sharif also failed to bring his nominee to the seat that he had won and vacated to be taken by his party’s candidate from the heart of the Seraiki belt, Rajanpur. The pleasant surprises that I mentioned deserved celebration; they affirmed the political maturity of our electorate and provided substantive credibility to the electoral process.
The PTI zealots do not feel so good about these developments, however. They rather seemed far more annoyed and upset over the vote counting in a constituency for the Punjab Assembly in Lahore where the PML-N nominee appeared to have won with a narrow margin.
They were fuming because the returning officer had not succumbed to their demand for a recount. But that was not the end of the world. Higher forums were still available to get the recount. Instead of knocking at the right door, the PTI workers attempted to block the main commercial avenue of Lahore over the weekend. Although they were not present in an impressive number, the 24/7 channels made riveting stories about their scuffles with the police and this media-focus eventually resulted in the Punjab chief minister ordering the release of arrested activists. The story does not end there.
All the mainstream newspapers informed us through a front-page story Monday morning that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had clearly instructed his younger brother to ensure appropriate space for expressing discontent by political activists. The Election Commission is now willing to hear the PTI’s grounds for demanding the recount as well.
Instead of feeling pleased with these developments, the PTI legislators opted to subvert the national assembly agenda at the outset of its sitting. Shah Mehmood Qureshi didn’t press the demand for a recount, though. His main grievance switched to the conduct of those police officers in Lahore who allegedly bullied and misbehaved with women activists. He furiously demanded their immediate suspension. Doing this, he never realized that by any stretching of the law and concerned rules, the federal government was not at all empowered to take action against officers taking orders from a provincial government. The Deputy Speaker kept reminding this experienced parliamentarian that the national assembly could not discuss anything else before dispensing the question hour. PPPP’s Syed Khurshid Shah spotted an opportunity here to act as the “real opposition leader” at this point. After delivering a censuring speech, he led the PTI and his party legislators to walk out of the House. The opposition was certainly busy in much ado for nothing.
He was also not justified in delivering a neither here nor there speech to praise the customary annual address that the President had delivered before a joint parliamentary sitting immediately after holding of the May 2013 elections. We have heard of adulatory chanting for the so-called “stability” of the democratic system in Pakistan. The time has come to show mortals like me that our parliament is really sovereign, as people sitting in the august house want us to presume.
I can count many things to puncture the self-praising chants of our elected representatives. Suffice for the moment should be to find out as to how and why the recently announced formation of a National Security Council helped an elected government of civilians to take full control when it comes to deciding on Pakistan’s relations with other nations and the things called “strategic” and thus falling under the domain of national security. Words, words and more words do not construct what is not there on the ground and visible to all. Alas, the point-scoring opposition is simply not pushed to put and pursue some fundamental questions related to the notion of good and total governance by peoples’ representatives.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 27th, 2013.
In the previous week, we had enthusiastically watched by-elections in more than 40 constituencies of the national and provincial assemblies across Pakistan. Never in this country’s political history had such elections generated so much heat and interest. It was always taken for granted that the sitting governments would ensure victory for their nominees. Why bother then? Things proved radically different this time.
The PML-N could not stop Asad Umar of the PTI from reaching the National Assembly from an Islamabad seat vacated by Javed Hashmi. The PTI candidate won in the capital, though the party lost two of its national assembly seats that Imran Khan had bagged from Peshawar and Mianwali with a huge margin on May 11, 2013. Notwithstanding his reputation of being a hands-on manager with the theatrics of a budding populist, Shahbaz Sharif also failed to bring his nominee to the seat that he had won and vacated to be taken by his party’s candidate from the heart of the Seraiki belt, Rajanpur. The pleasant surprises that I mentioned deserved celebration; they affirmed the political maturity of our electorate and provided substantive credibility to the electoral process.
The PTI zealots do not feel so good about these developments, however. They rather seemed far more annoyed and upset over the vote counting in a constituency for the Punjab Assembly in Lahore where the PML-N nominee appeared to have won with a narrow margin.
They were fuming because the returning officer had not succumbed to their demand for a recount. But that was not the end of the world. Higher forums were still available to get the recount. Instead of knocking at the right door, the PTI workers attempted to block the main commercial avenue of Lahore over the weekend. Although they were not present in an impressive number, the 24/7 channels made riveting stories about their scuffles with the police and this media-focus eventually resulted in the Punjab chief minister ordering the release of arrested activists. The story does not end there.
All the mainstream newspapers informed us through a front-page story Monday morning that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had clearly instructed his younger brother to ensure appropriate space for expressing discontent by political activists. The Election Commission is now willing to hear the PTI’s grounds for demanding the recount as well.
Instead of feeling pleased with these developments, the PTI legislators opted to subvert the national assembly agenda at the outset of its sitting. Shah Mehmood Qureshi didn’t press the demand for a recount, though. His main grievance switched to the conduct of those police officers in Lahore who allegedly bullied and misbehaved with women activists. He furiously demanded their immediate suspension. Doing this, he never realized that by any stretching of the law and concerned rules, the federal government was not at all empowered to take action against officers taking orders from a provincial government. The Deputy Speaker kept reminding this experienced parliamentarian that the national assembly could not discuss anything else before dispensing the question hour. PPPP’s Syed Khurshid Shah spotted an opportunity here to act as the “real opposition leader” at this point. After delivering a censuring speech, he led the PTI and his party legislators to walk out of the House. The opposition was certainly busy in much ado for nothing.
He was also not justified in delivering a neither here nor there speech to praise the customary annual address that the President had delivered before a joint parliamentary sitting immediately after holding of the May 2013 elections. We have heard of adulatory chanting for the so-called “stability” of the democratic system in Pakistan. The time has come to show mortals like me that our parliament is really sovereign, as people sitting in the august house want us to presume.
I can count many things to puncture the self-praising chants of our elected representatives. Suffice for the moment should be to find out as to how and why the recently announced formation of a National Security Council helped an elected government of civilians to take full control when it comes to deciding on Pakistan’s relations with other nations and the things called “strategic” and thus falling under the domain of national security. Words, words and more words do not construct what is not there on the ground and visible to all. Alas, the point-scoring opposition is simply not pushed to put and pursue some fundamental questions related to the notion of good and total governance by peoples’ representatives.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 27th, 2013.