The masterstrokes are famous from the Indian side, but this time, a splendid masterstroke has come from the Supreme Court of Pakistan which reversed Imran Khan’s move of dissolving the Assembly, pushing for new elections even as the name of the next caretaker Prime Minister too was suggested and sent by Khan to President Arif Alvi who then had asked the Leader of Opposition, Shehbaz Sharif, also to suggest a name. But that didn’t do.
It was all brought to a grinding halt after the Supreme Court of Pakistan took note of the issue soon when the no-confidence motion was projected as a foreign conspiracy aimed at toppling a popular Government even though the same was rejected by the Deputy Speaker of the Pakistan National Assembly, Qasim Suri.
The Pakistan Judiciary has turned out to be a saviour for the state of Pakistan because if the issue would not have got the attention of the Supreme Court, the same would have paved a way for an autocracy with no respect and adherence to the constitution, which has provided with the option of the no-confidence motion, to be used in case any elected government fails to deliver on the ground. The landmark judgement by the SC has once again proven that nobody could be above law of the land and that everyone, even if it is the Prime Minister, has to limit themselves within the constitution.
While the decision is being celebrated in Pakistan by a section of society, the same is being criticised as the court has so far maintained silence over another case regarding the fate of breakaway factions, people of political parties who end up toppling the Government. The critics believe that the court jumped to decide on the case which came into being due to the floor crossing and horse-trading of the members of the PTI along with the allies such as MQM and others.
As of now, the situation is that Imran Khan has not been able to prove that there was a foreign conspiracy to topple his Government; rather, the people in the opposition are happy to see him back in power only to pull him down after carrying out a successful no-confidence motion in the National Assembly from which Khan was running away.
The political atmosphere does not seem to be improving in Pakistan anytime soon; rather, the challenge is now on Shehbaz Sharif on delivering on the issues the Khan-led Government was being criticised for. The issues remain that Khan failed on delivering on the foreign relations front, while he was seen always taking on everyone, head-on, ending up the same now affecting the domestic politics in Pakistan, resulting in Khan being stripped of power.
The time ahead is not going to be easy for the people of Pakistan as the ruling elite will again be put to test to work for the economic and social betterment of the people of Pakistan—how difficult that would be, only time will tell.
