Daily Times

Democracy thrives and gains strength when the political parties vying for winning the franchise of the people show unflinching respect for the constitution and law of the land, pursue their political objectives in consonance with the internationally recognized norms of democratic behaviour and ruling and opposition parties show respect for each other’s mandate besides have working relations to promote interests of the state. It is rightly said that in a democratic dispensation government and opposition are two sides of the same coin. The opposition is regarded as government in the waiting. It is a perfect recipe for socio-economic development of a country and social harmony.

As regards Pakistan, it is a matter of shame that though we have a parliamentary democracy in the country and a written constitution that spells out the course that the country has to traverse but the real democracy has remained an elusive dream even after 77 years of independence.

The country has not seen stability except under the dictatorial rules though they represented a detour from the constitutional course. The political parties have not operated the way they should have in a democratic dispensation. Almost all the elections have been controversial and the losing parties have invariably refused to accept election results. The major focus of the parties in the opposition has been on bringing down the incumbent government instead of playing its desired role. In this regard who can forget the crass politics of nineties?

However, while the political parties resorted to all kinds of devious machinations including horse-trading and instituting false case against their opponents they refrained from any kind of violence against each other or challenging the writ of the state.

It is rightly said that in a democratic dispensation government and opposition are two sides of the same coin.

Nevertheless, since the arrival of PTI on the political landscape of the country things have changed radically. The party has introduced a culture of violence in politics, extreme hatred for its political opponents. It has and sabotaged development of democracy in the country by refusing to have any kind of working relation with the opposition parties. Even the judiciary was not spared. A judge of Islamabad High Court was dismissed from ser vice and a false reference against a judge of the Supreme Court was also filed. Almost all leaders of the opposition were implicated in false cases and incarcerated. They were however acquitted by the courts as the prosecution failed to substantiate allegations against them. It would perhaps also be pertinent to mention that the High Courts and Supreme Court of Pakistan during the hearing of these cases are on record to have observed that the government was using NAB for political engineering.

How the party reached the corridors of power is now a well-known reality. The party failed to perform during its three and half hears rule forcing its mentors to have second thoughts and become apolitical. Consequently, the government fell after successful no-confidence vote against Imran Khan.

Imran Khan did not take his removal through a constitutional process gracefully. He started inventing false narratives and finding scape-goats for his exit from power. First of all, he accused USA of having orchestrated the conspiracy for his ouster from power, then shifted the blame on the then COAS General Bajwa and like ‘Frankenstein’ started hitting back at his own creators blaming them of foul play. When all his antics and politics of false narrative failed to produce results that he desired, the strategy shifted to challenging the writ of the state which was on display at Zaman Park when the police went to arrest him as a result of his arrest warrants and on 9th May attacks on military installations and the memorials of the martyrs. A sustained campaign was also unfurled against ECP, the Chief Justice and the incumbent Army Chief besides maligning the country in the comity of nations.

Imran Khan seems so frustrated and desperate for being in the prison for his illegal actions and corruption that he has adopted a new course to have himself released by creating a law and order situation in the country through public rallies and sit-ins instead of having faith in the judicial system which he used to preach to the opposition politicians when he put them in jail. The task has been assigned to Chief Minister of KP Ali Amin Gandapur.

The man is not only showing open defiance against the federal government but has practically challenged its writ on several occasions. He has been using official resources in bringing armed people from KPK to create law and order situation in Punjab and the federal capital. He even has threatened to get Imran released from Jail forcibly.

His latest attempt to invade Islamabad and the events that have unfolded is yet another ranting testimony of the nefarious designs of the party. As has been revealed, there were some Afghan nationals among the protestors who have been captured as well as police personnel of KP who carried tear gas shells and weapons as well. The Chief Minister used official heavy machinery and vehicles belonging to government departments to transports the protestors to Islamabad. The protestors clashed with Punjab and Islamabad police injuring 85 of them. One of them lost his life due the wounds that he sustained. This happening on the eve of SCO summit and visit of the Malaysian Prime Minister raises my eye-brows regarding intentions of the party.

There are no two opinions about the fact that right of protest or holding public rallies is a hall mark of democracy and the PTI is no exception to it. But when a party has proven credentials of challenging the writ of the state and creating political chaos in the country, the state simply cannot allow this kind of activity to take place or flourish.

It is an unfortunate reality that since its 2014 sit-in the party has adopted it as a ploy to bringing governance to a halt and using political instability as leverage to pressurize the state for achieving its narrow political agenda at the cost of national interests. Enjoyment of fundamental and political rights is contingent upon allegiance to the state. The latest wave of protests by PTI is not for any political cause or the protection of the constitution as the party claims. It is solely meant to extract concessions in regards to legal troubles of the founding chairman of the party.

The country never ever needed political stability as required at this critical juncture. BY continuing to foment political instability the PTI is actually trying to undermine economic recovery that seems well on its course. Nobody in his right mind can endorse this approach. This is not the way politics is done. One fails to understand how threats and anti-state activities can advance any meaningful political goals.

Some analysts believe that the party is probably part of a wider global agenda to foment political instability in Pakistan, undermine CPEC and the economic recovery. In this regard they allude to the nexus between TTP, BLA and RAW for carrying terrorist activities in Pakistan and bonhomie between TTP and PTI.

The writer is a former diplomat and freelance columnist.