Brexit: leaving of the United Kingdom from the European Union is an impending withdrawal that lingers between a deal or no-deal deadlock.

European Union was established with the aim to foster economic and political co-operation between European countries, by creating a single-market for trade and coming to each other’s aid in times of crises. This allows people of the union countries to trade and move freely in member countries.

Feeling the resentment over the immigration and trade policies of the EU, UK held a referendum on 23rd June, 2016, where England with 53.4% and Wales with 52.5% decided to leave, whereas Scotland and Northern Ireland opted to remain in the union. The total turnout was 71.8% with more than 30 million people of voting age participating in the referendum.

With this, British Prime Minister, Theresa May invoked article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty on 29th March, 2017, giving EU and UK period of the two years to decide post-Brexit arrangements between UK and EU regarding trade and border management mechanism, before 29th March, 2019, which is fast approaching with the prospect of no-deal. It was decided that UK would leave the union but continue to keep close relations with other members to make trade easy. However, this proposition was defeated in the British parliament by a margin of 230 votes.

To this, Theresa May called for all parliamentary leaders to hold meetings with her so as to decide the course of things to strike a deal that would be acceptable to all.

However, the EU President Jean- Claude Junker made clear that EU would not accept any other deal than the earlier agreed one which unfortunately, met its ill-fated verdict in the British parliament.

The course of the events until now imply that UK is to leave but with no-deal.

AAMIR KHAN WAGAN,

Larkana, January 18.