Out-of-control prices, a ruined economy, flood havoc, rapidly increasing diseases, and on top of all political crises! It doesn’t look like a crisis, but it is on the brink of anarchy. For the time being, it is a phase of demands and preparation for the agitations. The politicians are trying to use the harshest language against each other. The general public knows and understands well what the position of politics and its effects are that they are already facing. The President of Pakistan, Dr. Arif Alvi, in one of his interviews, rightly said that when a nation is encircled by oddities and crises, it needs more unity and harmony in its ranks to face the severe problems. He wished that all the political parties, along with their routine activities, would try to sit together and negotiate for the future fate of the country. He expressed his desire to look at the ways the country could solve its problems and go ahead politically and economically hand in hand. Imran Khan’s political power is not a riddle now. The controversy is not to distribute power to any one of the political parties. It is about the right of the people to elect their rulers for a period of five years. In democracies, it means a lot what people think about national affairs and about the people they have given or want to give the government through general elections.
The people of Pakistan are facing the toughest time in the history of the country. They want rationale and immediate decisions. The main demand of Imran Khan for immediate elections is not against the will of the majority of the people. The overwhelmingly positive attendance at his public meetings has stamped his people’s verdict. Along with the nation, the whole world has known the trends of Pakistani politics. Our enemies would certainly like to see a clash between our political powers. They can manoeuvre it in so many ways. It is expected of the politicians that they will never take any step against the nation’s interests, show patience, tolerance, and statesmanship, and bring the nation out of the storm. Those
who don’t have these qualities don’t qualify as politicians. They are traders only and are up to plundering the nation. Politics needs a sportsman’s spirit. It needs to sacrifice one’s own and family’s sacrifice. Those are the traders who are always there to cash in on the opportunities. If one understands and believes in these values, then as a politician, it is not
difficult for him to come out of the blame game and straighten matters for the national interest. It is good to have big rallies and it is good to become showy about being in power and enjoying every moment of the family rule. But what about the general population’s hardships? Should they live on their promises and sparkling slogans and statements only? Is there any end to this mockery and mimicry of the poor nation? It is not a question of
popularity or bigger or smaller crowds. Ultimately, all things in politics must end in the betterment of the people, the real rulers of the country.
Unfortunately, they have been smashed in the current political collision. There are other strong institutions besides politics. When politicians are wrestling and trying to push each other against the wall, the people look towards these institutions to play a referee’s role. But it is up to the political players not to kick in the belly of the others, resulting in a kickback from the other side. Keeping on playing a foul all the time and expecting that the
referee will stop them is not a wise children’s game. I need not say that we are surrounded by horrible problems from all sides. The nation, and especially the politicians, need to show sanity in these crucial times. People are divided under the flags of different political parties. In the exaggerated situation, our enemies are also active in painting us as a failed state and compelling the people to get involved in destructive activities. We know of many incidents in Sindh and Baluchistan where trucks loaded with relief goods were stopped to distribute goods among the flood victims by decoits.
The only solution to all the problems and dark shadows heading toward us is unity among the political factions, workers, governments, and functionaries. Politicians are known as sagacious factions of the nation. They are considered to be the people with foresight who can change the worst conditions into the best. Unfortunately, they have not come up to the
hopes of the nation. Up to this point, they have proved themselves power-hungry, corrupt, indifferent to national interests, and flood-stricken dying people. Among both sides of the political groups, only those greedy people are more anxious about agitations who want to loot the shops and houses during fights with the law-enforcing contingents. Covid-19, floods, economic disasters, malaria, dengue, and capital flight have made us weak. In this
position, our politicians’ tussle has even darkened our national horizons more. All the sane circles of the nation want to see the national parties at one table. Once they start negotiating, they will start seeing solutions. The nation is fed up with their blame game and now everyone wants to see the result of so much rubbish uttered by the politicians under the title of their political statements or propaganda war. Enough is enough. We want
results now. Further tensions and political gimmicks can make the nation mad. Different
important or unimportant players in the power game could have different ambitions. But they have to come toward the nation’s collective ambition, which is the only way out. Immediate agreement on the dates of general elections is the first viable solution to bring the nation out of the political trauma. National dialogue can follow this general agreement. In comprehensive dialogue, all other matters, like the establishment of a caretaker government. Restructuring of the Election Commission and its rules, the voting procedure for overseas Pakistanis, etc., could be decided. To feel itself in safe hands, the nation wants to see all of this within a couple of days, which can miss so much of the nation.
