Daily Times

The inswinger has been bowled and democracy is out. Sadly, in this World Cup, Pakistan’s much-revered kaptaan decided to take the stumps even before he had won the match. Plunging the country into a deep constitutional crisis, the deputy speaker shut the door on a trumpeted no-confidence motion, which was closely followed by President Arif Alvi’s dissolution of the national assembly. Surprise upon surprise. The country has officially entered the election season. Enjoying his brief stint on the information hot seat, recently elected and now former minister Farrukh Habib has even come up with a timeline but we all know how deadlines have a tendency to get lost over the more pressing matters of who punched who the hardest.

The winds appear to have read the tea leaves well, for now, magic boxes would switch from the ever-so-heated political slugfest to a match between the parliament and the judiciary. Crisis is the buzzword here and the constitution, for the millionth time, remains the victim. Quite disheartening to see the founding stone of this beloved democracy of ours hauled over coals every now and then. Disappointed by the ease with which martial law administrators used to dissolve the constitution, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto had hired a team of top-notch constitutionalists. We would revolutionise the constitution, they had proclaimed. Alas! They forgot to deal with the controversial Article 58. Those elected by the masses as their voices, their spokespersons, their agents of change and hope for a better tomorrow can still be sent packing home. One piece of advice is all it takes.

Considering the frequency with which the conspiratorial adage is being thrown around nowadays, the new blood has started getting some wrong ideas. For, the resolve to protect Pakistan against the enemies that be has become easy fodder in drawing room discussions all over. Catchy, definitely, but not a profound discovery. Those who dared cast a wrong look in our direction are busy dropping denials here, there and everywhere.

Crisis is the buzzword here and the constitution, for the millionth time, remains the victim.

Still, the yahoodi agencies behind the sazish mills have yet to be grilled for some tough answers for their immediate reaction has not been fulfilling enough. And to the fortune of those counting on any confusion in the air, the US State Department forgot to give a rubbishing lesson or two to the said diplomat, Donald Lu. His mysterious sidelining of a searing quick Yorker in New Delhi has raised far too many questions. Simply ducking with “respect and support” for “Pakistan’s constitutional process and the rule of law” was not enough, dear sir. Quick on their feet, New Delhi’s press wanted a categorical answer. The rigour with which they have been following the proceedings in the backyard of their estranged cousin is a tale for another day.

No matter how passionately all sides may appear in their crusade to restore Pakistan’s dignity, it is for the security agencies to decide what to do with this concoction of platitudes. If Khan was actually battling such a sharp dagger with so much finesse, he is indeed Allah’s greatest blessing for Pakistan. Divine intervention clearly came up with a masterstroke this time. But if all the prime minister was doing was buying time, paying no concern to where his blindly shot arrows might land, there could not be a more disastrous checkmate. As has always been, politics is not the only damsel in distress here. A freefalling economy, skyrocketing dollar prices, swirling clamour of an end to subsidies and the consequent havoc it would unleash on a common man’s ability to move or even provide for his family. The imbalances are far, far worse than the infamous Nawaz tenure and the sooner the dust settles, the country is all set to brace for a rerun of Godzilla. Kahan tak suno ga, kahan tak sunaoon?

Considering the outlandish suggestions for the interim setup from Imran Khan and Company and what can quite cautiously be called pandering to the defence counsel in the honourable supreme court, we might soon hear yet another power play. Let’s rip the constitution, lock doors of parliament and let a team of the “best and most serious people” run as players, referee and even the ball. If Iskandar Mirza could do it in 1958 without the support of multi-millions of Youthias on Twitter, Mr Khan is already being applauded by roaring crowds, both on the streets and social media. Damn the democracy! We’ll come up with a new game. Rahe naam Allah ka!

The writer is OpEd Editor (DailyTimes) and can be reached at durenayab786@gmail.com. She tweets @dureakram