Erfan Khan
SHAFAQNA PAKISTAN (Shia News Agency)
Erfan Khan
The all hullabaloo dominating the horizons of erstwhile serene and idyllic picturesque Islamabad persists and will hardly melt away in the near future as the power players, democrats vs revolutionaries, stuck to their guns.
The stop-start parleys among the mandated committees seemed to have hit the snag time and again because the vital demand for unceremonious exist of the elected chief executive of the country, with apparent thumping majority in the National Assembly, remained a stumbling block in making headway.
The situation on the Red Zone, the constitutional avenue, near the nerves center of Pakistan’s power corridors, continues to obfuscate all alike; with each anxious passing day brings little for those hoping to ride the tides of abrupt ecstatic change in the entire set up and the system, while the others, hoping for a total revamping of the democratic dispensation with a system based upon complete social justice and mob justice.
Nawaz government which had bitter experiences of the past, returned to power echelons as result of the last general elections and hopes to have a smooth sailing after demolishing the arch political party of PPP, but certainly it had never an iota that the new phenomenon of revolution could pose a grave challenge to its writ. Neither the countrymen experienced such hiccups in the political imbroglios they had been accustomed to in the past.
Democratic governments were sent packing through controversial President’s decrees on the whims of opponents and of course the sudden walkovers by Khakis, by presenting the political leaders as demogauges to belittle their role in the national politics.
Electronic media nowadays, abuzz with all kinds of predictions of innovative thinking of certain familiar faces and at times, grotesquely depicting reports of the participants of the two marches anchored on the sacrosanct avenue, completely failed to assimilate that certain scenarios even worst challenges could prop up in the democracy.
This can be turned as a new face to democracy in which an elected government does not face direct or dire threat from the third ‘Umpire’ but within the adverse ranks of political clouts of different hues.
Various wild hypotheses to grope in the dark for the elusive third force did not yield any result so far. Still every stalwart in the political arena, as well as certain media outlets, foresee prospects of the derailment of democratic system in case the deadlock prolongs with all three sides remain adamant to their extreme positions.
So far neither the sky has fallen nor the earth has shaken, but in reality, the pawns on the king’s charade are feeling the heat and banking upon the mustered support of political parties in the parliament.
The oft-repeated formula of engaging the firebrand Qadri and ferocious Imran Khan through dialogue was also advised by Asif Ali Zardari who was pampered by Nawaz Sharif in his palatial residence the other day, left the rulers with no other option but to play their cards with utmost sagacity as the former president who was publically vowed by younger Sharif to be dragged on roads, offered little panacea, rather from his countenance he appeared in Shakespearean metaphor, “That one may smile, and smile, and be a villain.”
The PPP leaders might be smiling in their sleeves at the PML-N government currently caught between the devil and the deep blue sea.
Nobody can questions the legality of the demands made by PTI and PAT, as in the democratic set up the parties or the stakeholders have the prerogative to raise their voice which is in quite consonance with the various provisions of the Chapter II of the Constitution including article 15 freedom of movement, Article 16 freedom of assembly and Article 17 freedom of association and Article 19 freedom of speech.
On the other hand, the major demand of these two parties regarding resignation of an elected PM is a hard nut to crack for the PML-N as by stooping to it, a unique and dangerous path will be carved up for the future set ups as anyone with band of supporters could come, occupy and conquer the constitutional avenue.
The Supreme Court in its landmark judgment in Asghar Khan’s case had already made it clear in the legal terms that the only change in the parliamentary system could be solely through vox populi vox dei ‘one man, one vote.’
The top court also explains, “The Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan commands that it is the will of the people of Pakistan to establish an order wherein the State shall exercise its powers and authority through the chosen representatives of the people, wherein the principles of democracy, freedom, equality, etc., shall be fully observed, so that the people of Pakistan may prosper and attain their rightful and honoured place amongst the nations of the world, and make their full contribution towards international peace and progress and happiness of humanity. People of Pakistan had been struggling to establish a parliamentary and democratic order since long within the framework of the Constitution and now they foresee a strong system which is established by the passage of time without any threat and which is subject to the constitution and rule of law.”
The Chapter 3 of the Constitution concerning federal government, prime minister and federal cabinet clearly lays down the mechanism for election and disqualification of the prime minister with no room of chief executive quitting the power of saddles on the demand of any political party or other segments outside the parliamentary system loop.
So the tussle and war of nerves among PTI, PAT and the government will loom largely over Islamabad with entailing consequences for the whole countrymen. All the parties calling shots can also plunge the entire nation into the full fledged chaos if they do not fall back from some of their stringent demands.
Imran Khan may be right in his complaints about snail paced justice system of tribunals but whether his demand for Sharif’s resignations is palpable! The Model Town tragic episode is a valid reason for something brewing vengeance by Qadri’s followers, thanks to the short sightedness and myopic policy of the Punjab government which failed to chain its hawks and consequently tried to impede registration of FIRs.
Never in the modern societies the people had ever seen police personnel spraying bullets on protestors with indemnity. In Pakistan, such gory incidents had always been reminiscent of the rule of despotic rulers and dictatorship. So the ministers and advisors questioning the legality and constitutionality of such marches also require courage to accept the responsibility of such mayhem.
The solution to the issue does not lie in use of force or mere rhetorics but a well pragmatic approach on part of the government emissaries who can use their bait well by adopting a quid pro quo approach on the negotiating table. Time is ticking up! residents in twin cities will no longer bear containers, ditches and cops on the roads nor the supporters of the two parties will continue with their wait and see tactics.
pakistan.shafaqna.com
