- Difficulties in running parliament, federal system
Everyone irrespective of his status needs to be held accountable. The best way is to let the related institutions probe the corrupt and the courts to decide their fate. For a ruling party enjoying a wafer thin majority and needing the help of the opposition to make laws, the government has to look neutral. A vengeful attitude towards political rivals has led the PTI government to indulge in media trial of opponents and creating a perception of knowing beforehand the outcome of the investigation and judgments. Thus it has compromised the reputation of the institutions considered independent. The perception that only political leaders opposed to the PTI are being targeted while those belonging the ruling party are being spared has acted as damaging factor.
Besides being vengeful the PTI leadership is prone to running the country through orders rather than consensus. The centrist mindset is not fit to manage a federation. The 18th amendment and the 7th NFC Award (2009) ensured that some of the major grievances of smaller provinces were removed. A larger share of power for provinces ensured a stronger and more vibrant federation. The attempts to force decisions on the provinces without constitutionally mandated consensus through the CCI are bound to give rise to serious complaints. If ignored these will again let loose the genie of parochialism which was put back into the bottle with the help of the 18tnamendment and 7th NFC award.
That Balochistan CM declined to be a part of Khusro Bakhtiar led delegation to China should have set alarm bells ringing in Islamabad. A complacent PTI government simply ignored this. Now Balochistan Assembly has passed a unanimous resolution complaining that the province was ignored and provided a niggardly share in the CPEC project and demanding more openness about the project’s details. Failure to undertake consensus building over sharing of gas between the provinces during the worst ever shortages has led PPP senators issue a warning of blocking gas supply to other provinces if the needs of Sindh were not given priority in accordance with the constitution.
How long can a party with a vengeful and centrist mindset run the parliamentary system and the federation remains to be seen.