Daily Times

What American comedian Groucho Marx said about politics decades ago, seems precisely relevant to unwise ways of our political leaders. He said “Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong remedies.”

Finally, the election fever is surging as evident from traditional exchange of allegations between party stalwarts. PPP and PMLN are out on election campaign but traditional fiery election speeches laced with populist slogans seems failing this time in creating durable effects on the audience. Masses are disturbed, non-interested and quite confused as well.

Highly questionable performance of the PTI regime and subsequent unimpressive display of flawed governance by the PMLN led coalition government have tested the limits of patience. Unwise political misadventures proved very costly in terms of economic deterioration and internal instability. Lofty claims made during election speeches means nothing for those poor people who are confronting the nerve breaking inflation. Surprisingly, leaders having significant deficiency of democratic norms within respective parties, are portraying themselves as flagbearers of democracy. Most of the parties are infected with hereditary politics and operate without any consultative mechanism in undemocratic fashion like family-owned enterprises.

If the election is held smoothly and the winners manage to form the government, the imprisoned former PM would be in total loss.

This stagnation has jeopardized the entire democratic process which includes intra-party elections, award of party tickets to candidates, selection of cabinet members and formulation of manifestoes. Exclusion of masses from political decision making and policy formulation process is visible in all activities being carried out in the garb of democracy except the public processions and social media campaigning where the party workers are required to act like programmed robots. Though fancy worded manifestos of major political parties are out, their past performance is not a debatable topic even in party ranks.

Non-acceptance of own failures and verbal cannonade on opponents has distorted the whole political discourse. Over-exaggerated stories of political victimization are used to shroud the governance failures. Fanfare and verbosity of the PTI after the 2018 election victory, later on, proved an unfulfilled dream amid a flop governance show stretched over three and half years’ tenure.

Unfortunately, the quest for ‘Naya Pakistan’ snatched every good from the society and eventually ended through a vote of no confidence on the floor of parliament. On that day, PTI not only lost the vote of confidence but also failed the test of democracy by opting for an undemocratic option of quitting the parliament for an ill-conceived long march. Later, the decision of founder PTI to dissolve two provincial assemblies against the majority opinion of their own party leaders triggered political instability across Pakistan. Obviously, this rash political move of the former PM aimed at clipping the wings of alternate leadership in PTI.

After losing power in the center, the former PM never wanted strong CMs in the biggest province Punjab and political power hub KP. This vicious desire to concentrate all powers in the hands of party chairman was the sole reason behind the mysterious placement of a weaker CM like Usman Buzdar in 2018. Unexpected elevation of comparatively junior member Gohar Ali to the post of party chairman after a visibly manipulated bogus intra-party election has further proved that former PM would never accept senior comrade as head of PTI.

Such undemocratic intentions eventually destroy the democratic roots of the political parties. PTI is not an exception; rather all political leaders subscribe absolute autocratic methods to maintain firm grip on respective parties. Back in mid 80s, National People’s Party under late Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi parted ways from PPP in retaliation to hereditary control of Bhutto clan. Sharif family was not ready to share the throne of Punjab with Chaudry clan which eventually ended at birth of PML Q from the womb of PMLN.

Present slanted version of democracy is the outcome of the dictatorial mindset of political leaders. Ongoing election campaigns revolving more around the personalities instead of manifestoes are true reflection of flawed political culture. The offensive of the PTI against the election process can be easily decoded with its founder’s obsession to keep the powers in his hands. If the election is held smoothly and the winners manage to form the government, the imprisoned former PM would be in total loss. Since rumors about postponement of elections have almost died therefore disruption of the electoral process through populist agitational activism remains the only option available to the PTI camp.

The merchants of chaos are now overplaying the rigging rhetoric and flexing their muscles with violent maneuvers as evident from the attack on a police officer in Karachi. Replay of 9 May arson on polling day cannot be ruled out especially once media is reporting about PTI’s targeted propaganda campaign through foreign based lobbying firms. Being a federal party, at this juncture PTI should have focused more on introspection instead of confrontational moves.

Meaningful infiltration of PPP affiliated legal wizards in PTI including its new chairman is being viewed with a lot of suspicion by the veteran well-wishers and founding members of the party. Apparently, inefficiency of competent but disloyal lawyers and wrong advice of seasonal birds have reduced PTI from federal party to an agitating pressure group.

Leadership of all political parties should adopt democracy in letter and spirit. National stability cannot be restored without revival of normalized democratic political order and smooth conduct of election. Merchants of chaos must not be allowed to sabotage the upcoming elections at any cost.

A graduate of QAU, PhD scholar & freelance writer. Can be reached at fa7263125@gmail.com