Long after democracy is on track, political cracks have been healed and stability makes a comeback, 2023 will be remembered as a top-runner among a long string of bad years. Questions about elections hung heavy in the air on most days while the year itself could be divided between two different kinds of stopgap arrangements. Unbelievable polarisation reigned supreme in the first half where an overwhelmingly large coalition of opposition firmly sat on the red seat-determined to counter Imran Khan and his party-and set forth crises of biblical proportions. Skyrocketing inflation and numerous close brushes with debt default saw the exasperated masses rise and protest as they did not have any more blood to bleed at the altar. Meanwhile, the credibility of those who had repeatedly branded themselves as the true “messiahs” took a nosedive as the reality of their erratic promises to fix the economy and heal the society jolted their voters out of oblivion. It would, nevertheless, be an over-exaggeration to proclaim all went well the minute the actual caretaker arrangement took the reins. A slew of promising trends on the financial front were announced but these small gains were still insignificant when compared to the foreign treasury at rock bottom, the rupee stripped of record value, stagnant growth and debt aiming for new highs. Heartening outlooks by international organisations and seemingly confident pressers by the cabinet members did little to help the common man in his daily battles to put food on the table. This much-talked-about nascent recovery was only made possible when the Army Chief stepped in to put the tab on dollar flight and reassure the business community. Quite interestingly, PM Kakar’s administration does not believe in going by the book as he relentlessly tries to leave behind a late impression. With energies being spent on everything other than housekeeping and the provision of a level playing field in the upcoming elections, the intense wave of insecurity sweeping through the nation persists despite judicial declarations and the interim setup’s press releases about things moving as planned. That caretaker governments, especially in Punjab and Sindh, and elections schedule both stand in violations of the constitution play a phenomenal role in stirring up frenzy. It can only be hoped that tomorrow, Pakistan will step into a new chapter of its journey where dark stubborn clouds finally decide to move away and stability shines through. *