The jury is still out on why the PML(N) supreme leader decided to pound his chest and declare victory even when the votes for national and provincial seats had not yet been completed. But he was sagacious enough to accept the ground realities and announce to his supporters that wheeling and dealing had begun. But as his brother Shahbaz Sharif, tasked with the responsibility of reaching out to major performers, is busy conducting meetings, it has become extremely hard for the ordinary Pakistani to close his eyes to the lingering uncertainty. Where is the stability we were being promised for months on end? As the unprecedentedly large presence of independent candidates is being courted by small parties, most notably Majlis Wahdatul Muslimeen, enticing them with the opportunity to grab reserved seats for women and minorities and make merry on their way to the executive, the meddlers and peddlers are trying every possible way to ensure their will prevails. Cautionary messages are pouring in from all directions, especially Western capitals that have cast aspersions on the “actions that prevented the meaningful participation of all political parties and candidates.” Today, as the country stands at a perilous crossroads with those left with the short end of the stick ready to pound down the state machinery, the political elite should waste no time in prioritising the national good over a short-lived stint in power. It has become absolutely necessary to work towards a peaceful transfer of power, whether that means supporting the decision of independent candidates to choose a party of their own or seeing the likes of PPP and PMLN join hands. The sooner we step out of this chaotic tunnel, the earlier the new, elected government can begin to focus on the issues that actually hold significance to the masses. There’s enough in the crashing of the Pakistan Stock Exchange for the mainstream politicians to realise that the ongoing wave of confusion would hurt whoever eventually gets to sit in the driving seat. *