- Games politicians play
Even as the race for Senate chairman/deputy chairman springs its fair share of surprises, as the election itself before it, there is little surprising about the behaviour of most political parties. PTI, for example, found itself readily accepting PPP’s candidates for both positions one day after Imran Khan took to the press to rule out any votes for PML-N or PPP backed hopefuls. Now, even if PTI rank and file takes Imran’s about face at face value – that he did it for the sake of Balochistan – but he’ll have only himself to blame as PML-N accuses him of ‘U-turns’ whenever opportunity strikes as the election campaign intensifies.
Only recently most party heads vowed a crusade against the practice of horse-trading and opportunism that has come to typify Pakistan’s democratic politics. Now they are bending over backwards to stitch together any alliance that will gather sufficient numbers. Once election season is over, though, and Senate must begin proceedings, very few of these eager politicians are found attending regular sessions. The Upper House is taken seriously only at the end of the cycle, when money is thrown and loyalties purchased in the rush for power and privilege.
The Upper House is a sanctified institution, but its powers are more limited than the Lower House. Yet both Houses exist, as per the constitution, to legislate in the interest of the people. Our Senate, unfortunately, increasingly resembles a playing field for the egos of industrial and feudal barons. Most of their energies are spent in entrenching themselves and their friends in the most powerful seats in government. The interests of the people are hardly ever mentioned, let alone taken care of, and legislation is the last thing our legislators are known for. For the public, the Senate election and its aftermath has been something of a circus. Only when the able Senators take people seriously, and legislate in their interest (as per their job requirements), will they see the favour returned.