Daily Times

Undoubtedly, parliament is the mother of all state institutions and a forum to resolve issues, which pertain to governance and delivery to the masses. In a democratic dispensation, its importance in this regard can hardly be over-emphasized. But it is regrettable to note that our politicians, who cry hoarse from every convenient roof-top to sell their democratic credentials, hardly behave like democrats wedded to the cause of strengthening the state institutions; more so, the parliament. They have not learnt their lessons and continue to be prone to the temptation of serving their narrow political agendas at the expense of the national causes. This culture has been further strengthened with the advent of Imran Khan on the political landscape of the country.

Khan and his party have shown a disdain for all state institutions, have oft-ridiculed them and continue to challenge their legitimacy, particularly that of the parliament. Ironically, Khan and his cohorts never tire of calling the parliament a fake institution, which was created through rigged elections, while they continue to enjoy all its perks and financial benefits as its members. There is no denying the fact that Pakistan needs drastic reforms in its system of governance as well as a legal and administrative framework to deal with the permeating phenomenon of corruption, eating into the entire social fiber. The gravity of the situation, however, demands a collaborative effort on the part of all the political parties represented in the parliament to rectify the situation. But the reality is that instead of choosing the right path to address the real problems, the PTI has thought it fit to resort to politics of self-aggrandizement and settling issues on the streets. We have seen that during the campaigns held against imagined rigging as well as those with regard to the Panama Leaks case. In the rigging case, the party and its chairman had to eat dust when the Judicial Commission repudiated the allegations of rigging and legitimised the public franchise that was won by the PML (N). Since last April, Khan and his party have been utilising the Panama Leaks case as a whipping horse to achieve their political objectives; creating an ambience of uncertainty that, surely, is negatively affecting the ability of the government to fight the challenges confronting the country in a befitting manner. When the PTI saw that its campaign against the government was going nowhere, it — along with other parties who had reasons of their own to settle scores against the government — took the matter to the Supreme Court. It is pertinent to note that while the case is being heard by the SC, Khan has been employing his typical tactic of pressurising the court through his public rallies in which he has invariably been discussing the Panama case and giving his own verdicts.

Now, when the SC is almost finished with hearing the versions of all sides in the case and is likely to announce its verdict soon, Khan has come up with a bizarre proposal: asking the Prime Minister to confront him in the parliament on the Panama case. The issue actually should have been debated in the parliament and resolved through the efforts of the parliamentary parties who apart from this issue had also deliberated on measures to improve governance and other issues of crucial importance such as changing the way we elect our representatives, which has invariably created political upheavals. The proposal of Khan to debate the issue in the parliament at such a belated stage does not make any sense, except being a
political gimmickry.

One can hardly dispute the idea of debating national issues in the parliament, which is the most relevant forum. The contention sounds sensible and democratic. That is how it should be but what we have witnessed during the last three and half years completely negates this notion. PTI has never shown its willingness and commitment to the democratic norms and recognising the parliament as a legitimate and the most vital institution of the state. It has indulged in disruptive politics and used all kinds of non-democratic antics to clinch political power. It also wears the stigma of being part of a conspiracy to topple the government in connivance with PAT by staging the longest ever sit-in at Islamabad during which it orchestrated attacks on the state institutions like PTV and
the parliament.

Before making the proposal for a debate on the issue of Panama Leaks and other challenges confronting the nation, Khan should have first categorically renounced his flak against the parliament and recognised it as a legitimate national forum. I am of the considered opinion that PTI must abandon its antics to pressurise the judiciary and wait for its decision. It must also return to the parliament to recompense for the time that it has wasted on unproductive political pursuits. There is still one year left in the coming elections if they are held on time. That period can be utilized by all the parties including the PML(N) and PTI to rectify and remove the maladies afflicting our system of governance and utilize their collective wisdom to put in place a mechanism and legal framework that not only across the board accountability but also plugs the existing loopholes in the system that promote a culture of nepotism, graft and entitlement. The solution to the national challenges lies not in orchestrating the fall of the government through undemocratic means but strengthening democracy and state institutions capable of dealing with political afflictions and delivering to the masses. All the politicians have to take lead in showing respect for and faith in the state institutions to set a worth emulating example for the people. They need to prove that they are really sincere in promoting the well-being of the masses rather than salivating for political power that leads to only change of faces without people getting the benefit of the change.

A vibrant, honest and forward-looking opposition is an essential part of the democratic dispensation. Nobody in his right mind can grudge their right to criticize and appraise the policies of the ruling party and strive for improving the system of governance for which there is always a room for betterment. But it needs to play that role with the sole purpose of promoting national interests and well-being of the people. Honestly speaking the incumbent government may not have overcome the challenges that it inherited but there is no denying the fact that it can rightly boast of setting the right directions in surmounting those challenges be it terrorism, economy or situation in Karachi and Balochistan. The country needs continuity of the system and an unflinching resolve of all the political forces to reform the system while being part of it.

The writer is a retired diplomat, a freelance columnist and a member of the visiting faculty of the Riphah Institute of Media Sciences, Riphah International University, Islamabad. He can be reached at ashpak10@gmail.com