Institutional coordination vital for legitimacy of future Govt after transparent election
PESHAWAR (APP): Democracy had returned to the country after a lot of sacrifices by the democratic forces and close coordination among the state institutions were vital for continuity of the popular system through simultaneous free and transparent election.
Introduced in Pakistan after achieving independence from British on August 14, 1947, the democratic system could not flourish here due to unavailability of constitution and untimely deaths of the father of the nation, Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah on September 11, 1948 and later by the first Prime Minister of Pakistan, Nawabzada Liauqat Ali Khan on October 16, 1951.
The popular system was derailed four times in the country after political parties did not accept each other’s’ mandates due to political intolerance and confrontation among state institutions, which overthrow the political governments.
Malik Azamat Khan, former State Minister said Pakistan has a long history of political intolerance and confrontation among institutions where the losing parties and candidates leveled serious rigging elections against winners which either led to premature dissolution of the national and provincial assemblies or midterm election besides derailment of democracy four times in the past.
The government of Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto was overthrown after the nine religious-political parties of the joint opposition from the platform of Pakistan National Alliance (PNA) had launched mass agitation movement due to political intolerance besides claiming electoral fraud and riggings allegations during the general elections of March 7, 1977.
The PNA had started agitation movement after it bagged only 36 seats and PPP secured landslide victory with 155 seats while one seat was won by the PML (Qayyum) and eight seats clinched by the independent candidates in the total 200 seats of the Parliament during 1977 general elections.
In spite of strong denial of the rigging allegations by the PPP, the PNA’s agitation movement sparked riots and unrest in the country after massive demonstrations and violent anti-Bhutto protests.
The bar associations and civil society also came on the streets against the alleged electoral fraud allegations and denounced the post-election policy of repressions.
The law and order situation and rioting had caused &765 million loss to the country’s economy while exports slashed by 35 percent and democracy was derailed for the third time in the country on July 5, 1977.
As a result of political intolerance, he said the elected governments of PPP and PMLN had been dismissed on allegations of corruption, poor governance, mismanagement and rigging elections during 1988-1999 and its negative outcome emerged before us as of October 12, 1999 martial law.
He said in 2014 sit-in staged by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman, Imran Khan and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) Chairman, Dr. Tahirul Qadri accused PML-N for making rigging in 2013 general election was another example of political intolerance and accepting not each other’s’ mandates.
The PTI and PAT’s allegations against Nawaz Sharif government were rejected by a high-powered commission led by former Chief Justice of Pakistan, Nasirul Mulk who declared that the 2013 polls were organized and conducted fairly and in accordance with law.
The Commission had also ruled that PTI’s request for a probe was not justified.
He said a two-time elected Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto embraced Shahadat at Liaquat Bagh but never compromised on the right of people and democratic values and her matchless sacrifices brought democracy back to the country.
Quaid e Awam Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto were hanged to death after an unfair trial while another two elected Prime Ministers including Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani and Mian Nawaz Sharif were disqualified in a suomoto cases.
The PPP leader said it would have been better if a full court bench of SC was constituted on PTI’s election petition pertaining to elections in KP and Punjab assemblies so that the prevailing controversies could have been resolved forever.
Professor Dr Ejaz Khan of the International Relations Department told APP that all state institutions including legislature, executive and judiciary derived power from the constitution and if it worked under its constitutional domain the country would not achieve heights of success but its stature in comity of nation would also increase immensely.
He said the parliament was the supreme institution that makes the legislature for the country while the judiciary interprets the constitution and executive implement the decisions.
He said institutional harmony was inevitable to the ship of democracy forward and take the country out of existing economic and political challenges.
Esa Khan, former Advocate General KP said it would be better if the aggrieved parties including PDM file review petition before SC in PTI’s KP-Punjab election petition.
Talking to APP, he said that constraints among institutions would help strengthen democracy and allow smooth transition of power.
PMLN spokesman, Ikhtair Wali said that PTI had never reciprocated to the good dialogue offer of the coalition government and made a mockery of it. “I questioned whether Imran Niazi would accept election results if PMLN wins in Punjab and KP,” he said.
He said that one man could not be allowed to play with democracy and state institutions. He said that simultaneous elections would help strengthen democracy and save a huge amount for the national kitty.
He said that a huge amount would be spent if separate elections were held in the country.
