Daily Times

The idea floated by Pakistan Muslim League-N President Shahbaz Sharif about an in-house change – changing the government through a no-confidence move – is very much along the constitutional lines, but it is fraught with perils for both the people and the country. Calling Prime Minister Imran Khan a burden on the country, Sharif said that getting rid of the government was a better choice for “national interests”. The new stance of Sharif is a deviation from the earlier stand of the opposition which was calling for fresh elections. The demand has, however, fallen on deaf ears as the saga would have brought us back to the 1990s when no government was allowed to complete its term, thanks to the draconian Article 58 (2-B). The 18th Amendment made the Zia-era amendment history only to make possible the continuity of government for strengthening democracy. That changed the whole scenario as the Pakistan Peoples’ Party government completed its 2008-13 term; their successor also remained in government till the last day of the period despite several unconstitutional and illegal attempts to remove them. The incumbent government should also be the beneficiary of this positive trend.

True, the government is the product of reluctant coalition partners, but so is the opposition, where sundry enemies of yesterday are now united on a single uniting factor – anti-government. Any attempt to topple the government through a no-confidence move or street agitation will push the country towards uncertainty and economic misery. Moreover, the no-confidence move is likely to open the floodgates of horse trading and forward blocs, reminiscent of the 1990s’. In the era of swing majority, fair-weather parliamentarians make the most of the situation, and it is very unfortunate to note our political parties have still a good number of ready-to-ditch people for the sake money and lucrative slots. The shameful display of horse trading during the no-confidence move against Senate chairman earlier this year is still fresh in our memory.

The change in the opposition leader’s stance on in-house change seems to have stemmed from National Accountability Bureau’s action of freezing Sharif’s and his family’s 23 properties across Pakistan. Earlier, PML-N was blamed for taking a mild stance against the government in the wake of an alleged deal. The party also did not openly support the Maulana Fazl-led Azadi March. The opposition needs to keep pressure on the government for public’s rights. *