The PML-N seems to be stuck in the politics of 1990s
As Imran Khan prepares for the August 14 march on Islamabad, he has suddenly remembered that he should have asked for the National Assembly Speaker’s resignation during the verification of votes in NA-122. Had there been anything in the election rules to support the demand, all NA members whose election was challenged by rivals would have been idling away their time elsewhere instead of attending NA sittings. Perhaps Khan thinks it is necessary in the case of the Speaker as he could influence the outcome of the verification process. This implies questioning the integrity of the election tribunals. But in that case there are much more influential people in the PML-N cabinet whose resignation would have to be demanded.
While Khan’s penchant for protests causes worries about the future of the system, equally problematic is the government’s policy of ignoring the opposition. Instead of entering into talks with the PTI, the PML-N’s junior leaders continue to issue statements aimed at provoking the party. The PML-N has shown a singular lack of capacity for political bargaining.
The delay in notifying the parliamentary committee for electoral reforms is entirely thoughtless. Almost every political party, including the PML-N, had complained about malpractices committed during the last elections. One had expected the ruling party to set up the committee soon after forming the government. It waited for a full year till Imran Khan took up the issue and threatened to launch protests all over the country. It was then that Nawaz Sharif wrote to the Speaker to constitute a committee. Even after all political parties have furnished the names of their nominees, the committee has not been notified. This would strengthen the perception that the move was only aimed at countering the PTI’s campaign for reforms. As PTI prepares for the march, the prime minister has left for Saudi Arabia for six days, leaving the North Waziristan operation to the army and the standoff with Khan and Qadri to the younger lot of PML-N leaders.