- Sowing the seeds of political instability
By the time people go to cast their votes on July 27, the electoral exercise would have become widely suspect in the eyes of the neutral observers and several political parties. This will reflect badly on the government that takes over. While the new government will face serious economic and security challenges, whosoever is crowned as prime minister would enjoy little credibility. This is highly worrisome.
The caretaker government has failed to ensure a political environment where every political party felt that it had equal opportunities to freely contest the polls. So far the PML-N alone was raising questions about the partiality being displayed by towards a particular party. After the three terrorist attacks that shook the entire country other political parties have also developed similar suspicions. Asfandyar Wali sees the killing of Haroon Bilour as an attempt to put his party out of the election fray. The PPP spokesman has questioned why a political leader has the permission to hold public meetings wherever he wants while others are stopped using security as a pretext? Silence on the issue by the ECP and the caretaker government continues to give birth to questions. Another PPP leader maintains that the establishment is in search for another Sanjrani as prime minister in a fragmented parliament so that the de facto, and not dejure state, continues to be in the driving seat. Talking about the post July 25 scenario he says his party will continue to expose the de facto system and resist any attempt to steal the mandate of the people.
The situation needs to be handled in a mature way both by the establishment and the major political parties. The establishment needs to realise that the type of high-handedness resorted to in Punjab on the arrival of Nawaz Sharif would further complicate the situation. Further it has got to stop interference in politics, leaving politics to politicians. The courts have to deliver verdicts strictly in accordance with law rather than basing them on public perceptions. Political parties have to display maturity by continuing their struggle without resorting to agitation.