A joint opposition

Author: Daily Times

An eventful day ended in the federal capital with the parliamentary opposition once again getting together on a joint front. Among other aspects of national politics, the front will be responsible for deliberations with the government over the issue of military courts. Several key leaders within the two major opposition parties, including the central leadership of the Pakistan People’s Party, have already expressed their opposition to another extension, on grounds that military courts were formed to deal with an exceptional situation which no longer exists. To begin with, military courts are a mockery of our justice system. By dismantling the separation of judicial and executive authority, they violate a central plank of our constitutional principles. Apart from these theoretical niceties, there are valid concerns that on many occasions, the courts have been used to sentence those subjected to the condemnable policy of enforced disappearances. It would be a travesty if the joint front of the opposition doesn’t listen to the critical voices in its ranks, and supports any move to extend military courts’ tenure. The opposition must use its collective agency to push the authorities concerned to begin the process of judicial reforms so that anyone charged with terrorism could be punished through the means provided for under the constitution, before it was unceremoniously amended to institute military courts.

It is not yet clear what other purposes will be achieved by the joint front of the opposition. However, if this front is really committed to the cause of parliamentary democracy, the front must ensure that it gives centre stage to the concerns of parties and individual members who represent marginalised segments of the polity – Balochistan National Party-Mengal and two independent MNAs from North and South Waziristan tribal districts. In this light, it is admirable that the opposition realised its mistake of not having invited to its inaugural meeting Mr Mohsin Dawar, who represents North Waziristan, and Mr Ali Wazir, elected by voters of South Waziristan. We hope the PPP and the PML-N leadership will approach the two legislators and invite them to the future sessions of the front.

The front’s positions on these issues will go a long way in showing if it’s really motivated by a desire to fix the country’s structural problems, or if it’s just another move in the larger power politics playing out among state institutions in the twin cities.

In a connected development, Prime Minister Imran Khan took to the social media platform Twitter to vent his anger over the opposition’s walkout from the session of the National Assembly earlier in the day. Ironically, the PM was himself absent from the session, and the irony was not lost on legislators who responded to his criticism on the media by reminding him of his responsibility to attend assembly proceedings. As far as the sanctity of the Parliament is concerned, the government will have to take the lead and set high standards for the opposition to follow. However, both sides will still need to work together to strengthen the institution. The bare minimum in this regard will be to ensure presence in the House. *

Published in Daily Times, January 16th 2019.

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