After the completion of the electoral process, every political party that holds representation in the assemblies has the right, within the bounds of the constitution, law, ethics, and democratic values and traditions, to engage in coalition-building and efforts for government formation. However, it is regrettable that during and after the electoral phase, there is a disturbing trend of flagrantly violating every principle and ethical standard, which has become prevalent, once again, in the entire traditional electoral process.
It’s a tradition that during elections, battles of manipulation are adopted to win, then after voting, every possible attempt is made to manipulate the results through all sorts of maneuvering, and finally, during government formation, there begins the extremely egregious practice of buying and selling of elected representatives, which has no place in any law and does not conform to our religious ethics, teachings, and social values.
Although the voting process was fair and transparent to a large extent this time, the situation post-polling has given rise to significant disputes. Consequently, every political party is now alleging manipulation and tampering with the results.
In Sindh, the Pakistan Peoples Party has emerged as the majority party; however, in interior Sindh constituencies, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf is confident that it has won, but post-polling, results have been changed through massive illegal actions by election officials. Furthermore, allegations of result tampering have been made by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Jamaat-e-Islami, and other parties. Now, after the emergence of a hung parliament, coalition-building has begun for government formation, and all these factors together are setting the stage for instability in the country, which is deeply concerning.
The PML-N, as a major party, is playing a leadership role in this coalition-building process. Thus, PPP, MQM, BAP, and MMA have announced their support for PML-N in government formation, almost ensuring that PML-N will lead the next government.
Furthermore, in Punjab, PML-N, by tradition, and PPP in Sindh, and PTI in KPK have taken clear positions with the support of independent members. Yet, despite this, an air of uncertainty prevails; it seems there is a storm brewing in the clouds.
It is imperative that all situations are handled with diplomacy, without any undue coercion, and that mandates are respected and honored. The future of the country depends on it. It is clear beyond doubt that all parties and leaders are Pakistani and Muslim; there may be political differences, there may have been mistakes and shortcomings in the past, but it is not in the country’s interest to exacerbate political differences.
The country needs political and economic stability now more than ever before, perhaps more than it has ever faced such delicate and challenging circumstances. This phase of government formation is an opportunity for all political forces to show maturity, to respect each other’s mandates, and wherever there is any complaint, to step forward and try to resolve the complainant’s issue. It’s a difficult task, but if the national interest is paramount and personal interests are not prioritized, then no difficulty is insurmountable.
This is the time for all political forces and influential figures to demonstrate the extent of their tolerance and to prioritize national interests in government formation and resolving other issues. In the face of ego-driven wars and prioritizing personal interests, the country could suffer severe instability.
