Solution in sight

It is a victory for whole country which now gets an opportunity to bring matters out into the open, settle the doubts

It seems the political crisis that had been brewing in the country for many months between the ruling party and the PTI, over alleged rigging in the 2013 general election, may finally be moving towards resolution. This is a hugely welcome development given that the ‘long march’ to Islamabad, staged by the PTI in August last year, followed by a 126-day dharna, and street protests and rallies in different cities, had threatened to bring the country to a halt. Against this background, the agreement reached on March 20 between senior leaders of the PML-N and the PTI to set up a judicial commission to probe the 2013 polls is a positive move. As Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, who led the government delegation, has said the agreement on this had almost been reached late last year with discord remaining mainly on the wording of the document signed by both parties.

This has now been worked out with the agreement setting up a judicial commission to look into the impartiality or otherwise of the manner in which the 2013 polls were conducted, the question of whether anyone tried to manipulate them and whether they were on the whole fair and free. The undertaking of this task, which will be carried out through an ordinance covering the setting up of the commission, is important beyond party lines too. It will help us determine how the crucial matter of holding elections is carried out in our democracy and one hopes that the commission that is formed will function in a fair and honest manner. Both sides have agreed that with the establishment of the commission, there is no further room for tension. We must hope then that both parties will be able to work together to solve the doubts that still exist over electoral rigging and the problems stemming from this. Imran Khan has described this settlement as a “victory”. In some ways, it is indeed just that even if some might feel otherwise. It is a victory for the whole country which now gets an opportunity to bring matters out into the open and settle the doubts that have been hanging in the air for far too long. We need to put these doubts to rest and by doing so also improve working relations between parties.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 22^nd, 2015.

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