Members of the parliament, both from the government and the opposition, have started to show the people of Pakistan where their priorities lie - not in law making or efforts for good of those who elected them as their representatives; but rather petty political squabbling and ego wars. After failing to pass the delimitation bill because of absence of members of parliament, and killing time by passing useless resolutions, the parties have turned up in force to attend this session of the National Assembly to focus on a comparatively trivial and certainly foregone issue - an amendment to the Elections Act, 2017 on whether Nawaz can be elected as a party president or not.
We have in numerous articles condemned the symbolic clause of the election bill which paves way for Nawaz to become party head, calling it futile and tailor-made for one person. That does not mean however that this clause, whose inclusion or exclusion means and does practically nothing for the country, should be a matter of national debate again. The opposition failed its chance when this insignificant clause was passed and it needs to let this practically useless clause stay and focus on important matters.
What’s shameful is that our parliamentarians seem more focused on making cheap shots and slinging mud than discussing real pertinent issues. Ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif has asked National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq to ensure presence of requisite number of PML-N members in the lower house and is said to be paying special focus on the proceedings today. Moreover, all opposition parties show that they can actually unite on something, as they are on high alert and their members miraculously managed to show up, as there was a full house today as Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) tables the bill, supported by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf (PTI).
However, we do not see this full house when the time for voting on a constitutional amendment for the delimitation bill came; a bill whose passing is crucial for timely elections. It is commendable that parliamentarians showed up to contest this amendment, but we do wonder where this enthusiasm goes when it comes to actual substantial legislation like the delimitation bill, whose passing was delayed by the senate due to the absence of all PTI and several PPP and PML-N senators.
After the clerical error issue and now this, it seems our nation is more affected by futile issues rather than actual ones.