- A government with a fresh mandate plus brains and guts
During the last ten years two National Assemblies have completed their constitutional tenures which is a positive sign. Despite several threats that emerged during the period the system has managed to survive. As a result of a number of developments during the PML-N tenure the system has however considerably weakened. While it faced pressures from powerful institutions, the PML-N leadership too played no small role in undermining it.
The National Assembly under the PML-N’s five year tenure was rendered into a powerless body. Nawaz Sharif displayed scant respect for Parliament. As PM he took key decisions on the advice of a coterie that included un-elected confidants. Cabinet meetings, considered a waste of time, were held only off and on while the NA was treated like a rubber stamp. As the PM frequently missed the meetings of the lower house, he caused its prestige to decline. Following in the footsteps of their leader, ruling party and lawmakers attended NA sessions only casually. Thus parliament which should have gained further prestige during it second term in fact lost whatever vigour it had managed to acquire earlier.
Any attempt to delay the elections would have drastic impact on the country. Whosoever wins the elections needs to urgently address the dire issues facing Pakistan. These include security matters, financial woes and regional isolation. Iran has warned of IS bases in the adjoining districts of Afghanistan. Even China, Pakistan’s closest ally, is publicly expressing worries about Pakistan’s rising debt level and its ability to pay. Also, its having been put on terror financing list and over widespread corruption in the country. The Chinese are even more concerned about the prevailing instability and the possible impact of the election results on the continuity of Pakistan’s policies. A capable minister has to be assigned the portfolio of finance. Instead of over-burdening the PM, a whole time foreign minister needs to be appointed. That both the CJ and the Caretaker PM has assured timely elections is heartening. The county urgently needs a strong elected government which needs to focus fully on the dire challenges facing the country and the system.