The current standoff between major political parties in Pakistan has also deepened the county’s constitutional crisis. With politicians unwilling to set aside their differences, Pakistan’s democracy and governing institutions are in serious trouble. We often hear that in an ideal democracy the essential aim is to maintain a balance between democratic freedoms and social order. However, what we are witnessing today is quite the opposite. Instead of engaging in healthy democratic political competition, political actors are bending backwards to literally terminate each other. A recurring question that is often asked and answered is the extent to which polarisation has increased in the country. And the common answer is yes it has, indeed, increased and in unprecedented ways.
No other country within the proximate region has seen so much political violence for so long, and with as many entangled dimensions as Pakistan has. Not a day goes by without the forces of polarization manifesting across the nation, further worsening our state of uncertainty. From filing several cases, to using regulatory authorities to block coverage and speeches of opposition leaders, to conducting searches and arrests on mostly fabricated and easily dismissed charges. The government is currently engaged in politics of reprisal, making a mockery of democracy and the rule of law. In all past instances, the results of such periods of intense polarization have only resulted in destabilization while harming the institutions which are essential to democracy. Not to mention that political attitudes, such as these, have generated an atmosphere of hostility among political leaders that go far beyond the normal boundaries of peaceful political contestation. All scholars of democracy collectively agree on this notion, that the greatest reward of democratic systems is not just limited to rapid economic growth or progressive social policies, but also the certainty that the transfer of power from one government to another will be peaceful and predictable. A system of governance in which elections are not held on time and are marred by irregularities is less of the democracy it is intended to be and more of an exploitative authoritarian regime. The government’s recent line of strategy seems like a desperation to retain power. Giving rise to potential new threats when it comes to the viability of democratic rule in Pakistan. Such events have strengthened the growing public perception that it is all part of a greater political game to block the democratic process of change that is conducted through elections. After all, a truncated National Assembly cannot claim to represent the entire electorate, as they must seek fresh mandate from the public to govern. They must realize that there are no “choices” in the constitutional prescription when it comes to election timelines. If elections could be held back in 2008, there is no reason why they cannot be held now. Politicians who are hiding behind the judiciary’s internal turmoil to reject the Supreme Court of Pakistan’s latest ruling in the elections delay case should, perhaps, not throw both sense and restraint out of the window.
In this atmosphere of heightened political polarisation, where the stakes are so high, and the divisions are so deep; the fate of Pakistan’s difficult democratic transition depends on its political leadership. The power to navigate the ship back to calmer seas has, since the beginning, rested on their shoulders. Should cooler heads prevail, as one certainly hopes, the two sides can reach some form of negotiated settlement. Political reconciliation is the need of time, given the multitudes of external and internal challenges presently confronting the economic and political landscape of Pakistan. Instead of trying to use extra-legal means to maintain its rule, the government should seek to defuse the deepening political polarization that currently exists. They must realize that it cannot force any exception to the Constitution without setting a precedent that will shatter the very foundations of Pakistani democracy. One must remember that such tactics did not work previously, and they will certainly not work for now. At this crucial stage, the nation needs all hands-on deck. Putting citizens first, respecting their right to vote in a timely manner and recognizing their ownership of the country are crucial. Running away from the elections is not the solution to the problems that we are confronted with. This current wave of revenge politics has created an extremely dangerous situation that threatens to derail the entire democratic political process. Even more worrying is the fact that the unfolding political power game has exacerbated the clash of institutions, leading towards a systemic collapse.
As for the friendly countries to whom we go far too often, hat in hand, the message from them is quite clear: put your house in order first, they tell us, and with good reason. Except we refuse to do anything like that. In the coming months, with food price inflation at an all-time high, should tempers instead continue to increase, more violence and unrest can be expected, further destabilizing the polity and undermining a fragile economy at the expense of the Pakistani citizens lives and livelihoods. The window for finding an amicable way out of the present crisis is closing fast. It is incumbent upon both parties to find a democratic solution to this impasse as there is no point in putting up defiance at the peril of public peace. At present, the only way forward is free and fair elections and restoration of constitutional order. Although the coalition government has stated that only the parliament has the mandate to legislate and decide on elections, it should be borne in mind that no decision by the legislature should violate the Constitution of Pakistan. The 90-day constitutional limit of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab caretaker governments has already passed, and it would not be incorrect to say that the two caretaker administrations are presently operating in a legal vacuum. Now is the time for power circles in Pakistan to rise above the politics of tactical manoeuvring for short-term political and economic gains. Now is the time for better sense to prevail and for there to be constructive engagement rather than destruction.
