Daily Times

After the order of the Supreme Court, the Election Commission had given the date of the election in Punjab (April 30, 2023) after consulting the President, but now the Election Commission has apologized for holding the election on April 30 as well and has said that the conditions of the country are not yet ready for elections. They cannot afford it. Due to this, the Election Commission has now given the date of October 8, 2023, for the election in Punjab and KPK. After the Election Commission’s decision, Tehreek-e-Insaaf approached the Supreme Court. At the request of Tehreek-e-Insaf, the hearing started in the Supreme Court on the postponement of the election.

In hindsight, the decision of the Election Commission seems correct because the country is currently facing the worst economic crisis in its history. People need bread. They are worried about how to meet their daily needs, and on the other hand, the government is also accepting all conditions of the IMF to get dollars.

It is being said that the constitution of the country does not allow the election to be delayed, but it is also a question of whether all the work in our country is done according to the constitution. When we look into the past, Benazir Bhutto was martyred in 2007. After that, the situation in the country deteriorated rapidly and the holding of the election was also postponed for 40 days because the security situation in the country was so bad. Even then, considering the conditions of the country, the election was moved beyond the constitutional date.

It is very important to reduce the political temperature because the political parties seem thirsty for each other’s blood.

Now that the matter has reached the Supreme Court, there are two views in the Supreme Court. One group says that the Chief Justice of Pakistan had no authority to take sou moto notice and issue the judgment dated March 1. Justice Mansoor Ali Shah and Justice Jamal Khan Mandukhail, two honourable judges of the Supreme Court included in this bench, have also come out with a dissenting note on sou moto notice in this case. They have expressed their disagreement with the decision made on the basis of the sou moto notice.

Judiciary continues to play an important role in the strengthening of political and democratic institutions in Pakistan, but now, this grouping or division in the judiciary is not considered correct for the democratic process. Whether the dissenting note of two honourable judges made the judgment controversial or it is a matter of routine is an important question because if the Supreme Court failed to implement its decision, it will give the impression that our judiciary is not in control of its decision. It has failed to implement the decisions, so public confidence in the judiciary may be shaken. Well, this is a separate discussion. If we go to the election, the Election Commission has given the date of October 8 2023.

The role of politicians is important to strengthen political institutions, but our politicians are turning political enmities into personal enmities. Interior minister Rana Sanaullah has made an important proposal, given the country’s situation, that there should be a grand dialogue in the country because the economic conditions currently require a grand dialogue for a strong economy.

This is also a debate because some people think that the solution to the country’s problems lies in the election and the election is the only way to move the country on the road to development. On the other hand, there is a group that thinks that the economic conditions are so bad and the previous government is responsible for it, so until the economic conditions of the country are corrected, a pact on the economy should be made. Right now, Pakistan is accepting every condition of the IMF for a few billion dollars. If our leaders cooperate with each other instead of spreading their hands in front of foreigners, the country can definitely get out of difficult situations.

Federal Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah also says that to solve the problems and issues of the country, there is a need for a greater debate and dialogue in which all parties of the government and the opposition come together and talk about democracy, economy and peace. Do this, the country can move towards improvement and the country can get out of difficulties while the political temperature of the country can also decrease.

It is also very important to reduce the political temperature because the political parties in the country, whether they belong to the opposition or the government, are thirsty for each other’s blood and want to somehow defeat each other to get power. This is not the time to foster political battles because political battles have brought the country to this point, the economy is out of control, terrorism is on the rise again, and the judiciary which is the hope in Pakistan. It also seems to be divided due to politics.

To correct the economic and political situation, the political parties should have a dialogue at this time. Instead of running against each other in the name of election, they should develop the capacity to listen to each other so that the country can again embark on the journey of development.

He writer is an old Aitchisonian who believes in freedom of expression, a freelance columnist, entrepreneur and social activist.