Daily Times

The nation is gripped by a political polarization intensified by the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan. The political agitation launched by the PDM in 2019 against the PTI Government has reached its crescendo turning into a ‘do or die’ phenomenon. This spectacle will continue holding the nation in awe and fear and straining the nerves of the political leadership across the divide for another two weeks until the final count of votes on the motion.

The old political hostilities are giving way to new bonhomie. Old political foes are becoming allies. The new alliances are being weighed on the touchstone of maximal political advantages to be squeezed from the contenders in this political contest. Horse trading is galore. The tiny parliamentary groups have suddenly acquired importance. They are considered to be in a position to tilt the balance of vote count in either way. This has tremendously enhanced their political price. Their demands touch the sky. They demand coveted positions of Chief Ministership, Governorship and Ministries in the federal and provincial administrations, Mayoral offices and state jobs in thousands.

The no-confidence motion is an essential part of democracies. The opposition has the constitutional right to move such a motion justified by solid reasons or the government in power loses the support of a coalition partner. In democratic countries, the coalition partners pronounce their differences before parting ways with the main party in power. There is no horse-trading. There is no spectacle of buying loyalties of the parliamentarians of the ruling party or offering irrational political positions to small parliamentary groups. In all this process, the national interests and the health of the political system invariably become the guiding principles. In developing countries, the phenomenon is utterly disgusting.

The PDM leaders are grossly mistaken to believe that by removing Imran Khan from power, they will bring an end to his political career.

Just look at what is happening in our country. Each contender claims to have already bought the loyalties of two dozen parliamentarians of the opposite side. The coalition partners sprang into hard bargaining action after the no-confidence was moved. The PML (Q) with five votes in the National Assembly and ten members in the Punjab Assembly demands the Chief Ministership of that big province notwithstanding the fact that its rule will be dependent on the goodwill of the PMLn or PTI with the new Chief Minister working as a courtier to the leader of either party. What it already has in the present administration are the Speaker of Punjab Assembly, Ministries in the provincial and federal administrations. The man’s political ambitions are insatiate.

The MQM-P with fewer parliamentary votes is seeking a 40 per cent quota in federal and provincial jobs; Governorship of Sindh; Karachi’s Mayoral office; control of seven districts of the city; Ministries in the provincial administration; appointment of thousands of locals (read their workers) in the police; cancellation of the Karachi domiciles of Sindhis from other cities; provincial National Finance Commission. The ruling PPP has reportedly acceded to its demands. The powers of the Governor whatever he had in terms of the chancellor of universities have already been transferred to the Chief Minister. The provincial government has already announced a new local body system for the province. The PPP leadership is in no mood to change the legislation for their sake.

I put this question to a senior PPP leader. Have we given them in the past coalitions what they seek now, he smilingly answered. The former Mayor of Karachi, throughout his tenure, cried hoarse over the lack of powers and financial resources to discharge his responsibility towards the megacity. The most lucrative departments dealing with the precious lands of Karachi and construction regulation – Karachi Development Authority and the Sindh Building Controlling Authority – are under the provincial administration. Will their Mayor and Provincial Ministers have powers in this unnatural partnership to bring any rescue to their constituencies? This should be a moment of introspection for them.

Since Balochistan National Movement leaders had already parted ways with the ruling PTI, they are free to take any side without incurring any adverse reaction from their electorate. However, the thing crystal clear as ever before that Sardar Akhtar Jan Mengal needs to remember is that his main lament on the enforced disappearances could not be addressed by the PTI ruling party. His grievance on this account will also remain unaddressed in the new federal administration if it comes into power with his parliamentary votes. All these leaders with whom he has been rubbing shoulders will not dare do anything in this grave matter of utmost importance to Balochistan.

The PDM leaders are grossly mistaken to believe that by removing Imran Khan from power, they will bring an end to his political career. They are turning him into a political martyr rather a giant. The Khan fallen will be more powerful than the Khan erect. His popularity graph has already surged touching new heights among the poor masses and the youth as witnessed from his charged public meetings. His political belligerency has struck resonance with the poor and powerless people who are not enamoured with the corrupt autocracy and protagonists of the status quo. What I foresee is the repeat of the history of the mid-1970s in which Bhutto fallen turned into a nightmare for PNA leaders and dictator Zia.

The PDM if successful in the no-confidence motion will relieve him of the exacting disadvantage of incumbency. By the time, the new general election is held after the completion of the tenure of the Assemblies, the masses will have forgotten the political aberrations of Mr Khan and start weighing the worth of the new rulers on the touchstone of their success in addressing the inflation, falling currency value, debt reduction, poverty alleviation and reorientation of foreign and security policy. The disadvantage of incumbency will be their Achilles heel.

The belligerent Khan will shred their credibility to smithereens. Contrary to all predictions for his political eclipse, he will emerge with a clear majority in any fair and transparent election to rule the country.

The author was a member of the Foreign Service of Pakistan and he has authored two books.