Democracy is considered to be the best solution to all political problems and a best form of government that not only guarantees supremacy of constitution and rule of law but also brings political and economic stability to a country. Unfortunately, democracy couldn’t strengthen its roots in Pakistan due to wrangling among political parties for power and leveling of corruption and rigging allegations against elected governments after elections, consequently, this popular system derailed four times in the past and no elected prime minister completed the five-year constitutional term.
“Instead of learning lesson from the country’s grim political history, the political parties again have started wrangling ahead of general elections that not only increased people’s problems but further deepened economic crisis in the country,” said A.H.Hilali, former Chairman, Political Science, Department, University of Peshawar while talking to APP on Friday. Despite the completion of 75 years of independence, he said the country was looking toward the IMF and other financial institutions to run the economy mainly due to inconsistent economic policies and political instability. Those countries, which have evolved a stable, progressive, inclusive and tolerant political culture have attained all feats including economic prosperity, civilian supremacy and rule of law, institutional efficiency and balance of power, he maintained.
Dr Hilali said a politically stable government guarantees sustainable economic development, national security and social harmony, transparency and capitalization of resources, freedom of expression and pragmatic foreign policy besides taking bold decisions in the national interest. To achieve these key goals, he said that the 1973 Constitution empowered all political parties to serve their countrymen for five years after winning the election and implement its manifestos, adding that in democracies, people have the power to decide about the future of political parties through power of votes.
“Democracy, which is the process of political evolution, strengthened its roots after free and transparent elections following completion of five years term of the provincial and national assemblies,” he said, adding political unity and dialogue was imperative among political parties ahead of general elections so that no one can raise finger on polls’ results. He said that elections were fast approaching and urged all political parties including PDM and PTI to sit together and start a grand political dialogue to take the ship of democracy to safe shores.
Ikhtair Wali Khan, PML-N KP spokesman said his party strongly believed in the political dialogue and time and again offered PTI Chairman Imran Khan to come forward and sit with the government for a grand political dialogue to bring down the political temperature besides holding of simultaneous elections for national and provincial assemblies for political and economic stability. “The stubbornness of the PTI leadership and bad relations with the opposition in Imran’s four year rule had created political and economic chaos in the country.” He hoped that Imran Khan would positively reciprocate to the government’s positive gesture and sit together for a grand political dialogue in the wake of the postponement of elections for Punjab assembly by the ECP amid security and economic challenges and geo-political .
Wali claimed that if elections in two provinces, which were currently under the caretaker setups, were held before six months of the Sindh, Balochistan and National assemblies, it would have created a controversy forever. He said the constitution cannot act on the whims of one person, who could violate it anytime, dissolve the two provincial assemblies prematurely whenever he wants, saying such a negative attitude was against the spirit of the constitution.
PML-N leader accused PTI chief for instigating his supporters to wound Lahore police at Zaman Park and storming the court premises at Islamabad. “Imran Khan was afraid of arrest and trying to give an impression to be assassinated like Murtaza Bhutto,” he said, adding that political leaders were not scared of deaths or exiles like that of Benazir Bhutto Shaheed and Muhammad Nawaz Sharif. “As Imran cannot face the public, that is why he was using such dramas only to gain people’s sympathies ahead of general elections,” he said. Ikhtarir Wali said the PTI chief instead of talking about his government performance in public rallies and TV shows has again started leveling baseless allegations against political opponents as he had nothing to show. He said the billion trees project has been taken by the NAB and the BRT project was completed at very high cost thus huge taxpayers money was wasted by the PTI. He said Imran had left millions of flood victims alone in Khyber Pakthunkhwa and Punjab provinces despite his government at that time and would face peoples’ wrath in the upcoming general elections.
