Time for PTI to prove its democratic credentials
Imran Khan had himself asked for Judicial Commission. He had also insisted on the CJ chairing it. After the Commission was announced, Khan had hailed it as a victory of democracy. Later, he announced on several occasions that he would accept the decision of the Commission even if it went against him.
The verdict has been announced now. The Commission has rejected the charge of systematic and organised rigging. According to the findings whatever irregularities were detected were confined to the working of the Election Commission but these did not prove that the election results did not reflect public mandate.
Imran Khan had become a victim of his own rhetoric. Soon after the proceedings started an impatient Khan claimed that his stand had been vindicated before the Commission beyond any shadow of doubt. He insisted that the Commission was going to corroborate his stand. His critics maintained that he was thus trying to influence the Commission. At times Khan would lose hope and say that with Nawaz Sharif in power it is not possible to get justice.
Allegations of systematic rigging were made to justify a 126-day sit-in in Islamabad and the shutting of Karachi and Faisalabad. The allegations have turned out to be baseless. Acting soberly in his address to the nation, Nawaz Sharif has declared the verdict a triumph of the system rather than of any party.
After the Commission’s report, Khan needs to review his policy of continuous street agitation. Unless he does so he is likely to lose many level-headed party leaders, allies and sympathisers. It is time he reverted to parliamentary politics. The PTI being the third largest party in the NA, it needs to fulfill its legislation related constitutional duties for which its MNAs draw salaries from the national exchequer. There are no two opinions about the electoral system needing reforms. Unless the PTI begins to play a role in introducing improvements in the system, it is likely to be accused of having an unhealthy penchant for infantile politics.