EDITORIAL: In our disorderly national politics not everything is what meets the eye. The ruling PDM (Pakistan Democratic Movement) coalition has been adamant on its stance that it won’t call general elections before the end of the present assembly’s term in August, and might even seek a six-month extension. On the other hand, the opposition PTI (Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf) remains insistent on its demand for snap polls.
A few days ago, PTI Chairman Imran Khan offered talks to the government about holding early elections, which was summarily rejected as a sign of desperation on Khan’s part, though not without a counter offer of “unconditional talks.”
Meanwhile, Khan has threatened to dissolve the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) assemblies and have his party legislators to resign from all the other assemblies to force the government to follow through. To this the ruling coalition leaders responded by saying by-election to all the seats vacated — by some 66 percent of the PTI lawmakers — will be filled via by-elections. That though seems undoable for obvious reasons.
Talking to journalists on Monday, PTI senior vice-president Fawad Chaudhry disclosed that his party is in “informal talks” with the ruling coalition for holding early elections. Straws in the wind suggest both sides are amenable to go for commencing the electoral exercise in March. Khan was to announce a date for dissolution of the Punjab and KP assemblies several days ago, but has put off action till 20th of this month.
The PTI president, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, held a presser on Wednesday and stated that the Punjab and KPK assemblies would soon be dissolved and they are aiming for completion of the electoral exercise in the two provinces before the advent of the month of Ramazan in March next year. Incidentally, almost in sync with the announcement by Qureshi a PTI member of Punjab assembly took oath as minister in the provincial cabinet – an occurrence that undermined the credibility of Qureshi’s assertion.
Although, PTI’s coalition partner in Punjab, Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi of Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid), has repeatedly announced that he will dismiss the provincial assembly within a minute after Khan tells him to do so, some in his party as well as the PTI are said to want some more time to complete the various ongoing development projects in the province. In a TV interview the other day, Elahi mentioned March as a good time for dissolution of provincial assemblies.
Notwithstanding the mass popularity Khan has gained since his ouster from the PM’s office, elections, after all, are about constituency politics. He would also want to wait for a few months while keeping the pressure on the Shehbaz Sharif-led government — a smart tactic he used to keep the people engaged. To that end, he has asked his party leaders to launch district-wise (one at a time) protest demonstrations against the ever-increasing cost of living. Considering that there are 36 districts in Punjab and 34 in KP it will take a while for the campaign to last.
As the economic situation gets from bad to worse with foreign currency reserves down to under $7 billion and the IMF pushing the country into a further tight spot, the federal government is likely to go for announcing the March election date in March/April, letting the caretaker government take all the difficult decisions and the ensuing blame for causing additional stress on family incomes.
General elections, hence, can be expected in June, when the caretakers’ term would come to a close. That would put to an end growing political uncertainty, chiefly responsible for the great economic anxiety, allowing whichever party that wins to form a stable government and turn their promises of acting in the best interest of the people into reality.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022