Daily Times

If this drama about the no confidence motion against the prime minister is doing one thing, it is exposing how hollow Pakistan’s democratic credentials really are. The latest incident to shock the people was news of about two dozen MNAs locked up in Sindh House till the day of the vote. And just as speculation, and accusations, raged about whether they were from the ruling party or opposition, two PTI lawmakers from the Jahangir Tareen group finally stepped forward and claimed to have taken sanctuary in Sindh House out of fears for their security. The government, on the other hand, is pretty certain that Sindh House is where PPP is doing all the buying and selling, which is why a “strong action”, in the words of Information Minister Fawad Chaudhary, is on the cards.

Judging by the way this House of Cards is unfolding, it’s pretty clear that the entire government machinery will remain gripped by the uncertainty regarding the fate of the PTI government for at least another 10 days or so. That explains why the prime minister might have had plenty of time to badmouth the opposition in large public rallies, but he hasn’t had any time to conduct the weekly cabinet meeting for more than a month now. All this means that the needs and interests of the people, which representative, democratic government is meant to serve, are forever subservient to the interests of the political elite. The opposition, for example, does not mind at all if the economy suffers as a result of its no confidence maneuvering as long as PTI is shown the door. Likewise, the government has no qualms about what might happen to the economy or the people or even the IMF bailout program in the log run as it announces politically motivated “relief packages” that will have to be rolled back sooner rather than later.

Politicians will no doubt take legal cover behind the old and rusted line that none of their actions have so far made a break from the letter of the law, even if they have made a mockery of the spirit behind it. But now as another government-opposition showdown is looming in the form of mega-rallies that could well turn violent and result in casualties, there is the feeling that most people in the country are already fed up with this show. Their problems are very serious, and they will not be solved by watching the country’s senior most politicians try to take each other to the cleaners.

Therefore, in the interest of this country and its people, all efforts must be made to settle this matter of the no confidence motion against the PM as soon as legally possible and in accordance with the law of the land. *