Rebirth of pressure politics in contemporary Pakistan
Driven by an anthropomorphised version of farcical religious political ideology, cultivated in ‘Zia’s nursery’, PML-N is by all means the ruling political party of Pakistan, but all this power and dogmatic support has led it to believe that the spirit of ‘Pakistaniat’ in the Pakistani citizen is dead. On the other hand, Imran Khan’s movement regains momentum and raises the stakes, while taking mob politics to a new level, never expected in Pakistan in modern times.
The Faisalabad clash and the subsequent Karachi shutdown have added fuel to the dying fire of PTI’s scheme of systematic agitation throughout the country. Khan has learnt to become patient while pursuing the art of politics, and is becoming wiser every day with every miscalculated political move. Khan has gained significant political support in numbers and is growing as a political leader. The movement had lost is steam after the exit of Dr Tahirul Qadri from the scene, and the PTV building incident, but after much struggle, the movement has started believing in itself rather than the number of political allies it can garner. For a change, among other things, the movement of change has started believing in the power of people. At the same time, the people have started believing in their own power as a political force, which has the potential to move mountains, if steered with uprightness. The people had stopped believing in their political citizenship, but Khan gave the nation a promise of hope, and that is the powerhouse of his movement. Khan realised it the hard way that at the end, a democracy is all about the people, and not about power sharing between two power elites.
On the other hand, PML-N driven by a certain convoluted version of political religious ideology, came into power through a certain mandate, which promised economic and infrastructure development, like old times. As this development scheme flourishes within specific centres of political support, the national exchequer drains itself further into an abyss of circular debt. The ‘diplomatic’ foreign tours, bulletproof luxury sedans as gifts, the lavish safety protocol, the additional safety protocol for family members, and the helicopter food delivery service, are just a few other things that consume the Pakistani citizen’s tax money. The national economy keeps fluctuating while the citizens of the state are living in the illusion of ‘relief’ via diminished petroleum prices and sudden reduction in power tariffs. The last time I checked, oil prices had gone down globally, and tax on oil serves as a major source of revenue for the federal government, which means the reduction in prices was largely dependent on global factors rather than the government’s ‘sincere’ efforts.
The newest fiasco to PML-N’s credit was the killing of a PTI worker in Faisalabad, which was the result of clash between workers of both the concerned political parties
The newest fiasco to PML-N’s credit was the killing of a PTI worker in Faisalabad, which was the result of clash between workers of both the concerned political parties. Despite all that has happened up till now, PML-N has still not learnt its lesson, and keeps on indulging itself on the drunkenness of power, which has proved to be fatal previously, as ‘Gullu-Raj’ continues. Allegedly, PML-N had hired miscreants to create mischief in peaceful protest rallies, which was despicable for any political party to be accused of, as it was the epitome of political helplessness. The live television coverage and CCTV footage of various scandals have not proved a deterrence for PML-N in its under the table endeavours, which by and large revolve around staying in power, at all costs. PML-N has attained this power after great political turmoil over the years, and now the power-hungry regime refuses to part with it, irrespective of what is in the best interests of the country.
Suddenly, after the eruption of clash in Faisalabad due to a supposed verbal confrontation, the court orders the reopening of the ballot papers of NA 122. Resultantly, the government resumes talks with PTI and Khan turns it a notch down. This strange turn of events puts a question mark to the government’s ability to secure its territory, while Khan terms it as a victory. The PTI chief then gives a statement saying that the government would not have budged if PTI had not raised the stakes. All this for attention of the government sounds absurd in its totality. Then PTI apologises to the people of Karachi by saying that inconvenience to the people was regretted. Presumably, this was Imran Khan’s Plan-C, which thrived by building ‘pressure’ on the government, as Khan had previously vowed to ‘paralyse’ the system.
Interestingly, a series of statements by different political parties arrive at the scene. Asif Ali Zardari says, “While the threat of dictatorship may have receded, we are not unmindful of other threats to democracy.” Additionally, Zardari terms this ‘radicalisation of politics’ as ‘counter-productive for the political system’. Pervaiz Rashid accuses PTI for ‘inciting workers to create disorder’ via ‘nefarious designs’. Khurshid Shah says that Imran Khan would be held responsible if anything happened to Pakistan, and Khan only requires a political safe passage now.
On the other hand, Shah Mehmood Qureshi blames the government for orchestrating the killing of the PTI worker in Faisalabad, while welcoming the decision to reopen ballot papers of NA 122, which is Imran Khan’s constituency. The tides begin to drift in favour of PTI, while the government employs worthless tactics to decrease the political temperature. The poll rigging accusation is the basis of this movement, and PML-N could have handled this matter with dignity, if it had not denied the rightful recounting of ballot papers in four constituencies. The clouds clear away and PTI regains it political momentum after suffering from a few major scars on the way.
This tussle between two power elites struggling for power, and going to great depths to manipulate the sanctity of public opinion, has backfired for both the political parties in the worst form possible. PML-N has aggravated the whole political strategy of PTI unnecessarily and has stepped on its own foot several times, and still refuses to budge from its weak political manoeuvres. PML-N is in a deadlock with its own conscience and the will to power, because there is no point of return, as petty egos clash, while the country burns itself to a slow death. Reportedly, this political impasse has cost the country a heavy loss in terms of commerce, trade and export, while discouraging foreign investment simultaneously. The damage to the progress of this developing nation is irreparable, but it was high time that someone had to stand in the face of dynastic politics in Pakistan.
Asif Ali Zardari says, “While the threat of dictatorship may have receded, we are not unmindful of other threats to democracy”
The pressure from the military, judiciary and foreign powers demonstrates a crucial role in this political stalemate, whereas none of the parties are prepared to budge from their respective positions. Previously, ISPR gave a statement regarding its nonexistent role in the current political crisis, and blatantly denied any involvement, whatsoever, whereas this could not be possible when two dissimilar forces are united by a common cause. Then the United States of America clears the haze by reiterating its official stance in favour of democracy in Pakistan. The media gets centre-stage position, while information warfare on a global level continues. This string of events puts a question mark to the national sovereignty of Pakistan, and it seems weak in the face of Neo-Imperialism, as internal rifts consume it. Pakistan has barely recovered from decades of military rule, and it cannot survive another blow to its evolving political system. This may result in a non-coup coup but a farcical democracy has to prevail otherwise the promise of hope will collapse, and ruin the future of this developing nation.
Meanwhile, the Musharraf trial crawls through uncertainty. The trial of the former military general has seen some major about-turns and complexities, as the political temperature sways to and fro. The government’s legal team headed by Attorney General Salman Aslam Butt has implemented the ‘wait and watch policy’. Amongst other legal options, the government’s legal team may seek a presidential reference for the apex court’s legal outlook or it may come down to making amendments in the constitution of Pakistan itself, for handling treason trial cases. The government keeps ‘blowing hot and cold’ about this treason trial, which makes this the basis for a plausible connection between Khan’s political strategy and the government’s futile efforts to hold its ground politically.
The future of Khan’s movement is crucial for the people of Pakistan because it has the power to put a stop to this game of thrones. The Faisalabad incident may or may not be repeated in Lahore. Both the involved parties have resolved to dialogue for now. If the same state of affairs continues, only the people of Pakistan would suffer. Political protest and the right to peaceful protest are guaranteed by the constitution of Pakistan, which is why law should be respected and adhered to. The upcoming Lahore lockdown would be a turning point in the current political scenario because this city is the ruling government’s stronghold, whereas PTI has had successful processions at the same place in the past. The outcome of this event would affect the political scenario at a greater level.
Therefore, PML-N needs to rethink its errors because it does not have the leeway to make mistakes again at the cost of this country’s stability and peace. PML-N should excuse itself from the drunkenness of power, and start working towards a better Pakistan. Imran Khan has achieved partial success in his endeavours but he should tread on cautiously, as any more violence could drastically change the situation. All these abovementioned factors provide a macro-level overview of the current political crisis, and these parts play their own important role in shaping the future political state of affairs. The bottom-line is that a war between two power-elites should not damage the country, and both the political parties should think about national stability rather than personal interests.
