The government did not act wisely by taking the issue of electoral reforms to the joint session of Parliament. To be acceptable to all major players, electoral reforms have to be enacted through consensus. Any controversial bill passed through an arbitrary bending of the Constitution would make the whole electoral process questionable. The opposition had accepted the government’s proposal to set up a joint parliamentary panel to evolve a common position. Before the move could gain traction the PTI staged an about-turn taking recourse to the joint session. This creates the perception that the government is willing to listen to neither the ECP nor the opposition and wants to conduct elections in a way that suits it. That attitude can only lead to confrontation which would exacerbate the grave internal and external challenges.
Internal peace and security achieved after the completion of military operations in Swat, and South and North Waziristan are increasingly under threat while the terrorists are increasing their reach. On Thursday an army captain died during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Tank, signifying that the terrorists have succeeded in expanding their activities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa beyond the tribal belt. Despite the monster of terrorism raising its ugly head again, the government is wasting energies on confrontation with the opposition.
The US Senate bill seeking to assess Pakistan’s alleged role in Afghanistan before and after the fall of Kabul with mention of sanctions led to the stocks at the PSX to fall nearly three percent and the rupee to dip to a record low. A US General testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee expressed concerns over Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal in the wake of the Taliban’s takeover. The Centcom chief argued that the air boulevard to go in over western Pakistan, as well as certain landlines of communication, remain vital for the USA, indicating what is being expected from Pakistan. The worsening state of internal security and pressures emanating from a superpower can be met only through national consensus and full parliamentary support. This is not the time for short sighted and divisive moves like enforcing PTI’s electoral reforms through the joint session of Parliament.
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