NationalVOLUME 19 ISSUE # 23

Elusive political stability

Even after national elections after a delay of several months and formation of governments at the federal and provincial levels, the country is far from having political and economic stability. There are several reasons for unprecedented political and economic stability in the country and the last general election in the country held on February 08, 2024, has been one main factor. However, it does not mean that elections should not have been held in the country.

Elections and through it democracy are always critically important for political and economic stability in any country and Pakistan is not an exception.

The fact of the matter is that the last general elections were crucial for Pakistan, not because they would result in any political and economic stability on their own but could be instrumental in preparing the ground for it. These elections could have been instrumental in the beginning of bringing political stability in the country if results have been accepted by the powers-that-be and the presently ruling parties, specifically the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP). There is not even an iota of doubt that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), which was not allowed to contest as a party and all its candidates vied independently, won a landslide victory in the general elections but it was denied victory by changing the results in a very bizarre manner. The purpose of the caretaker government was to ensure that the PML-N and PPP return to power after just a few months in which it served as an interregnum. So elections were held only to hand the PML-N, PPP along with Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) a government in the country. But as people voted in huge numbers for PTI candidates, it was not possible so elections results were changed to keep the PTI out of power.

This does not mean that the PTI has a magic wand and if given power it could bring political and economic stability to the country. In fact, the PTI, if given power, may not have brought about political stability or economic stability even in five years of an uninterrupted government. This could be said on the basis of the somewhat worst performance of the PTI government of former Prime Minister Imran Khan from August 2018 to April 2024. Although in the last one year of his government the country started achieving some semblance of economic stability when economic growth jumped above 6 percent. Nevertheless, political stability was far from there in the government of Imran Khan. However, this does not mean that despite winning elections it must have been denied power; because the beginning of political stability could be initiated if the party had been given mandate by the people was given power as ultimately it would have been answerable to the public. Now when the winning party has not been handed the government and instead the PML-N and the PPP which to all evidence won just 20 to 30 seats, have been given power at the Centre, Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan provinces, it could not at all result in any kind of stability. This is even now being acknowledged by PML-N leaders themselves.

In a recent media interview, top party leader and former Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said that their government was not responsible and answerable to the people because people have not given mandate to their party. In other words, Rana Sanaullah wanted to say that in fact a mandate by the people was given to the PTI as it got a majority but the PML-N was compelled to form the government along with the PPP and the MQM in order to run the country. This is a very strange argument because on the one hand the PML-N, PPP and PML-Q wanted to be part of power to enjoy all its perks and privileges while on the other hand they do not want to take responsibility for the worst political and economic stability in the country. Recently, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was also heard saying that he had formed the government under duress because the PTI, having a majority, was not ready to form the government. All this points towards the fact that even government parties and leaders know that there will not be political stability in the country and as a result of that economic stability is far from there.

Now what to do to come out of this political and economic morass? There are two ways to do so. One is to remain within the system and the other is out of the system or out of the box solution. Insofar as within the system solution is concerned there are again two ways to do so. First, give the majority party, the PTI, an invitation by President Asif Ali Zardari to form the government. However, this could only be possible and workable if the results of the February 8 elections are consolidated and the final results that are issued on the basis of Form 47 must be based on Form 45 that is the initially compiled original results from all polling stations and booths. As the result issued on the basis of Form 45 is authenticated by representatives (political agents) of all political parties and the presiding officer concerned it is the only credible result. If the Election Commission of Pakistan, which has been in the eye of the storm for long for many acts of omissions and commissions, revised the entire electoral results on the basis of form 45 and then the PTI is given the chance to form a government it is one way of putting the country back on track of political stability.

The second within the system course for political stability is entirely new elections. Keeping in view the controversies with the February 8 elections and the bizarre ways the results were changed and the majority turned into a minority, one thinks new elections have become inevitable. However, the problem is that new elections require a huge sum of money, while people have already expressed their political priorities in February’s election.

Another way to political stability in the country is through out of the system measures. This would be in the form of ditching the extant political system which is parliamentary in form. The system has to be replaced by the presidential system a la American system of government. Pakistan is a federation like America, which has the presidential system, but we have our political system designed on the basis of the Westminster Model of British parliamentary system. This is despite the fact that Great Britain is a unitary state, unlike Pakistan. Only out of the system solution is the sole way forward for Pakistan to have long-term and well-entrenched political stability.

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