EDITORIAL: Confusion seems to prevail since news of appointment of PML-N Senator Ishaq Dar as leader of the house, even though there is no elected government in place, and appointment of PPP Senator Saleem Mandviwalla as chief whip even without his consent, reeks of just the kind of political maneuvering that the country is desperately trying to put behind it.
The official (caretaker) line so far is that the interim prime minister has approved these appointments, as if that was enough to override established norms and protocols.
Senator Dar’s case is particularly intriguing. For the longest time the house was made to wait for him as he lived in self-exile, supposedly under treatment in a London hospital.
But then, just when the PDM (Pakistan Democratic Movement) coalition succeeded in its no-confidence attack against PTI (Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf), he miraculously recovered in time to claim his seat in the upper house along with his favourite cabinet position of finance minister.
No wonder then that he’s happily accepted PM Kakar’s decision; especially since he seems well enough to stay in the country for the foreseeable future.
Senator Mandviwalla, on the other hand, isn’t quite as thrilled. He’s already disputed his appointment as chief whip, a designation equal to minister of state, saying that he was not consulted and only got to know of it through the news. And his decision to consult with this party leadership before deciding anything is in line with PPP’s objections to Senator Dar’s nomination.
The way the political situation has been evolving over the last few weeks, with all parties eyeing the election, it seems these developments will further increase PML(N)-PPP friction as the alliance at the heart of the previous coalition government finally begins to break apart.
PPP has already been echoing PTI’s complaints about “a level playing field”, pointing at PML(N) as the next round recipient of the same old establishment largesse that is forever behind the rise and fall of governments in this Islamic republic; the next “selected” administration.
That’s why, the shady business in the Senate notwithstanding, the spotlight will turn to the buildup of the election itself soon enough, especially what degree of transparency ECP (Election Commission of Pakistan) can ensure.
For, this toggling has already all but ensured that the final result will be disputed, especially if the party that is suddenly seen to be facilitated does better than expected.
That is the last thing the country needs at this fragile moment. Let’s not forget that a peaceful transfer of power and a stable government are both desperately needed to keep the country solvent.
IMF and other donors have already made it crystal clear that their engagement will be downgraded if political turmoil is not contained. That would be the worst-case scenario because it would mean sovereign default itself.
The caretaker government, whose only day job is to ensure timely and transparent elections, should not have triggered this fresh round of controversy, especially when the election is just round the corner.
Now the political narrative has been further polluted for no reason at all. This is the time when the overarching debate should be about the manifestos that parties present on the campaign trail, and which of them has the best answers to Pakistan’s many, complicated, existential problems. Not about who has or hasn’t been able to squeeze unfair advantages in the race.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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