LAHORE - Continuation of cordial relations between the government and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) mainly depends on the constitution of a judicial commission after both the sides have reached a truce in the political battle in the background of a soul-shivering terror incident in Peshawar the other day.
The PTI has also ended its 126-day-long sit-in in Islamabad, which had started with the demand for resignation of the prime minister and ouster of the PML-N government, alleging it is an outcome of the rigged May 2013 elections. Subsequently, the party demanded a judicial commission to probe the poll rigging and work out electoral reforms.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, after successfully locking three main cities, was due to shut Islamabad on December 18, but it abruptly ended the protest spate and accepted the government offer to attend the parliamentary parties’ meeting held to frame a consensus policy against terrorism and extremism. The PTI acted judiciously by moving with the tide which had surged against Taliban and other terrorist groups following the martyrdom of over 141 schoolchildren and staffers in the most horrific incident of our history. However, this party did not compromise on the demand of a judicial commission as it reckoned the same the fruit of its four-month struggle in the federal capital.
Tuesday’s gory incident has altogether changed the national political landscape and has united all political parties against terrorism. The PTI is also on the same side and ending its protest is a testimony to it. However, at the time of announcing termination of sit-in, Imran Khan warned the government of resuming sit-in if commitment to form the judicial commission was not met.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif who warmly welcomed Khan’s decision of ending the protest promised to address his reservations over the election rigging, while hinting at the constitution of the commission for this purpose.
Peeping through the background of the matter we see the government side also agreed to hold the election probe through a commission for which it had already written to the Supreme Court of Pakistan. But the apex court, in its detailed judgment on legal scrutiny of the election matters last week, held the election tribunals supreme in terms of Article 225 of the Constitution.
The judgment, at once, changed the government’s mood as most of its ministers started advising the PTI to approach the Parliament for seeking an amendment in the Constitution to form a judicial commission or get a law framed on the same with consensus of all the parties. The ministers interpreted the verdict as barring the way to direct constitution of this forum through talks between the two sides out of the Parliament.
The government also wanted the PTI to come back to the parliament after its MNAs had tendered resignations in August last, branding the forum an outcome of the rigged elections. Obviously, the government intended to come out of the pressure which it faced from the PTI resignations, by calling members of this party back to the Parliament. It also forced the PTI to join the parliamentary committee which had already started working on framing recommendations for electoral reforms. But the PTI was reluctant and went on with its strategy of keeping pressure on the government for formation of the commission through bilateral talks.
The political observers, who are studying the whole situation, opine that the government at present has come under added responsibility on both security and political side. Terming the Peshawar incident an open war, everyone says it is a decisive event to either surrender to the nefarious elements forever or wipe them out completely. The whole nation wants to know what line action the government adopts to completely root out terrorism and how it supports the ongoing military operation to uproot the militants.
After the parliamentary parties’ meeting with the PM in the chair, a committee comprising members from every parliamentary party has been announced to work out proposals for action against terrorists. The PTI has also nominated its representative in the committee, which implies that the issue of resignations has gone into background for the time being, but its stance on their acceptance stays on and so its demand for the commission.
Observers view that since curbing terrorism has assumed the central stage in our national affairs at the moment, the PTI also considers that this menace can be dealt with sternly if truly elected public representatives come to the assembly and a government free of corruption, favouritism and dynasty politics is formed. As such the government has come under added responsibility to rise to the occasion against terrorism and justify its own legitimacy.
These observers further say if the election fairness is proven through a judicial probe, the government can meet both the challenges. They say the time is not such that any weakness is shown in our national ranks through the politics of agitation and, at the same time, credibility of the government needs to be established to keep the nation united against terrorists.