File photo. Asif Hassan—AFP
The prevailing political crisis in Pakistan stems from widening rifts between the ruling alliance led by the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). This has played out in all aspects of governance, from the president—affiliated with the PTI—facing off against a prime minister of the PDM, to widely-publicized divisions within the judiciary, and now the government clashing with the Supreme Court. At its core, this battle is one for power between those who have it and those who desire it, leaving behind a citizenry struggling under the weight of near-record inflation as victims that rarely factor into governance.
Objectively speaking, Pakistan’s various institutions have never before appeared more divided. The PTI appears to be more popular—explaining its desire for speedy elections—while the PDM seems to think it has a better chance of facing him at the polls if they take place after the scheduled dissolution of the National Assembly in August. Most pundits view this belief with curiosity, as the country’s prevailing financial crunch and security situation is unlikely to witness much recovery in the next few months, and it isn’t too difficult to predict that the voting public would choose to “punish” the miseries inflicted by policies of the incumbent government whenever polls might occur.
The PDM’s repeated insistence of the PTI being responsible for the current crises is not finding much support on the ground, despite being partly accurate. No one is interested in fixing blame; only potential solutions, and the government has yet to offer any viable plans to reassure the public. Understandably, the current political scenario has alarmed observers, who have warned that any elections at this time risk being especially violent, especially without any efforts to reduce tensions. Simultaneously, the country’s economy remains at the brink of default despite months of negotiations with the IMF and imposition of “harsh” taxation measures that have inflicted even more inflation. It is abundantly clear that the only path to resolving the current situation is through stability—political and otherwise—but with neither side willing to compromise, the country is all set to face its worst-ever annus horribilis, with the common man suffering the brunt of the unfolding disaster.