Reshuffling or changing faces?
In a series of events revolving around the dharna scene, Pakistan has witnessed the deadliest of political strategies and the failing of veteran politicians at the same time. Moreover, the role of each player in this political flux has been dubiously cunning and seemingly inadequate to meet the challenges faced by this poorly governed country, which is why uncertainty is still ever-present.
Saving democracy tops the list for now, and the government is making its move to consolidate its allies by offering important political portfolios in the upcoming cabinet reshuffle. There is great speculation about the possible causes of this reshuffle, which may be due to poor performance by the current regime’s ministers, inefficiency to manage energy resources, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) agitation strategy, Pakistan Awami Tehreek’s (PAT) seasonal urge for a revolution, and the constant pendulum of uncertainty swinging between civil-military relations.
Let us begin with an overview in retrospect, and try to ascertain why Pakistan is standing in such deep waters today. It all began with the democratic transition of power, and then the government’s firm stance on retaining its authority over all key decisions, irrespective of how the military had previously influenced such decisions with ease.
Some institutions, of course, had a hard time digesting the fact that they were no longer in complete control of the situation, and had to become subservient to the government, as per the constitution. This unorthodox practice has been unknown to Pakistan since its inception. There was great tension between the two powerhouses, considering the history of the Sharif regime being ousted by a military coup. This time they were on guard, which meant that they would not allow any other player to meddle with the affairs of the government.
Unfortunately for the Sharifs, the Musharraf trial was ongoing, and this was the same man who had barged into power without an invitation in 1999. This was a constant threat to the regime’s future prospects and the current government boldly delved deeper into the treason trial. The quest for justice was overshadowed with personal vendettas and someone had to budge otherwise the result would have destroyed the essence of democracy in Pakistan for all times to come. This country is not in a state to recover from another authoritarian regime this time.
Performance of the ministries is far from satisfactory in light of recent events like the energy crisis and the unjust rise in electricity tariffs. In addition to other key members, there is widespread speculation that Khawaja Asif might be relieved of his duties
Meanwhile, PTI’s chairman Imran Khan began his movement, alleging massive rigging of the 2013 elections. Suddenly, after exhausting legal avenues and minute street protests, Khan adopted a greater strategy of mob politics, and went all out. We have seen many highs and lows of the Islamabad sit-in, which has taken several twists and turns due to constant conniving by players who had a stake in the current scenario. The credibility of the sit-in is questionable but that is not in focus currently as the political scenario has changed significantly.
On the other hand, Nawaz Sharif actively took charge of foreign relations, and tried to improve relations with India, which had never been done without the army’s involvement before. At the same time, Pakistan was having a hard time picking sides in the international arena due to a contradiction between the country’s history and the current government’s plans to improve its ties with its bordering countries. India was sceptical of this strategy for improvement in ties but provided complete cooperation until Pakistan created a fiasco due to internal rifts between the civil-military relations. Our ‘greatest’ ally and master, the United States of America, was observing Pakistan’s political crisis from the outside until it had to give a public statement confirming its support for democracy.
The rise of mob politics has considerably altered the conventional form of politics and measures had to be taken for consolidating support by all the players involved. It has promoted a sense of awareness and the citizens of Pakistan have started taking an active interest in the affairs of the state.
The current government has initiated a probe into the performance of its ministers and the prime minister is not ‘satisfied’ with the current progress of the country. The entire strength of the federal cabinet is 38 at this point in time. As per the 18th Constitutional Amendment, the strength of the federal cabinet may not surpass 11 per cent of the strength of both houses of parliament. Thus, an overall of 49 members may be inducted in the federal cabinet as the total number of parliamentarians is 446 – 342 in the Lower House and 104 in the Upper House.
The entire strength of the federal cabinet is 38 at this point in time. As per the 18th Constitutional Amendment, the strength of the federal cabinet may not surpass 11 per cent of the strength of both houses of parliament
Performance of the ministries is far from satisfactory in light of recent events like the energy crisis and the unjust rise in electricity tariffs. In addition to other key members, there is widespread speculation that Khawaja Asif might be relieved of his duties and this is only a minute part of the planned reshuffle of the cabinet. There is constant lobbying taking place while the government tries to achieve its own agendas by favouring some people over others.
‘During recent meetings, the PM has conveyed to Pakistan Muslim League-Zia (PML-Zia) Chairman Ijaz-ul-Haq and Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) President Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao to join his cabinet. Haq is interested in the charge of ministry of religious affairs and interfaith harmony while Sherpao wants the charge of the interior ministry. However, the PM is reluctant to give the interior ministry portfolio to Sherpao and he may be given some other office’.
This was stated in a recent news piece, which shows that the government is trying to form new alliances in the wake of ongoing unrest in the country. The government has not successfully diffused the current political crisis but it is trying to come up with evolutionary strategies. It has not achieved its political mandate so far but strives to justify its rule.
Considering the series of events that led to this current political deadlock, the government is treading very carefully and employing all sorts of democratic tactics to solidify its power base. As we have discussed earlier, the government’s performance has been poor, the rise of mob politics has served as a severe opposition, the military has been actively involved in politics due to several factors, and the reshuffle is the government’s latest strategy to diffuse political tension at large. The after-effects of this cabinet ‘reshuffle’ are of fundamental importance for this nation, and the current regime’s political standing. The factors that led to this point have been elaborated upon, and this is just one side of the picture.
Pakistan needs good governance and its citizens have the right to demand accountability. As per the right to information act, citizens of Pakistan demand transparency pertaining to the government’s actions, but the government has failed to do this so far. The people are hungry for change and are looking up to the government to fulfil its promises. The cabinet reshuffle should be able to bring a significant change in the current regime’s performance, otherwise it would just be a mere changing of faces, not habits.