Abdul Moiz Dar
As the general elections have held, representing inability of parties in winning majority. The election results, as ever predicted, emanated shock, demonstrating unbleached resilience of a party’s vote bank. However, the role of electronic media, on election day, has not been up to the mark with respect to fair transmission of information to the public. What their election transmissions showcased was all thrill and elaborated tactics to pump up public sentiments.
Primed upon initial media reports, suggesting PTI-propped candidates on winning trajectory, PTI started declaiming majority across the country. Its media cell was breathed new life, in effect, social media platforms enveloped with claims of majority secured by the PTI-propped candidates, irrespective of the nature of result. However, the case of PDM is not worthy either. Giving each other severe dressing down, while on the stump, diverse election results served as retinol for the PDM, and the scattered PDM has solidified in its wake.
It is of paramount significance what the coalition government has for public, while public experience was not up to the scratch with the previous PDM-governed coalition government. Among the liabilities lying upon the upcoming government entail countering: recrudescing terror, slumping economy, polarized political landscape and challenging situation appertain to foreign policy following Pak-Iran flare-up of tension.
First of all, Pakistan’s economy oozes atrophy, with foreign reserves pulverizing to 9.93 billion USD and external debt matrix nudging 128.1 USD, demanding immediate and comprehensive tinkering with the present way of dealing economy. The upcoming government grapples with the record high debt –amounting to Rs 81.2 trillion– incurred by the caretaker government.
Secondly, the serpent of terrorism is also rearing its ugly head, as terror attacks crop up each day ever since drastic appeasement policy. Peaceful though the election day passed, it was suspension of cellular services that made peaceful conduct of election possible. Terror activities earlier recent military operations were spearheaded from erstwhile tribal areas; however, TTP and Baloch insurgents have coalesced following appeasement policy, carrying out terror activities; and, the latest in the string emerge those of Mach and Kolpur, displaying magnitude of temerity exhibiting the militants.
Thirdly, Pakistan’s political landscape constitutes tapestry. Political twirling is on the rise, however. Each party has its personal scores to settle. As far as PDM, PPP announces to be distant from being part of federal government even if it concurs to support PML-N in setting up that of federal. What it suggests? It heralds the same strategy adopted by PPP after previous PDM-governed regime. PPP disowned many of the decisions taken during previous PDM rule, after they were made with the consent of PPP representatives.
Another instance of polarized politics embraces PTI, claiming its ability to forge government in all the respective houses: knowing its being under the cloud and lacking essential credentials for ruling the roost. Such tactics carry positively dangerous consequences, spanning from exploiting social media to denting the social fabric. Though, it is a conclusive fact whoever forms government is at disadvantage ahead of issues facing Pakistan. Moreover, the recent flare-up of tension between Pakistan and Iran. With Pakistan having an eyeball-to-eyeball confrontation with myriads of issues, any collision at global level may well cost Pakistan very much.
So at this very moment, it is held that party manifesto offers guide to the voters to ascertain what the party concerned envisages for their well-being. Inauspiciously, none of the parties afforded anything tangible to address even the present issues facing Pakistan. Each of the parties appears capitalizing personalities of their party leaders, while public hardships suspend between neglect and forlorn hopes of resolution.
What stands significant hereby is congealing political consensus, heaping multiplicity of benedictions: smooth devolution of power, redressal of public agonies and curtailing role of non-state actors.
