Political Devastation

             The Supreme Court's decision to overturn the deputy Speaker's actions in the provincial assembly as being "without lawful authority" brought the high drama of Punjab's constitutional crisis to a close. The SC ruled that Hamza Shehbaz's election was invalid, paving the door for PML-Q leader Pervaiz Elahi to take over the much sought-after position.

 

Has the court decision that resulted in the installation of a PTI-backed administration in Punjab assisted in resolving the nation's political crisis? or lowering the tension? Not at all.

 

The most recent turn of events has been a major defeat for the PML-N since it has allowed its political rivals to retake its provincial stronghold. However, these changes have also thrust Pakistan into unknown territory, which may portend future instability. Two governments—the one in the center and the one in Punjab—don't acknowledge each other as legitimate and could collide.

 

People who believed PTI leader Imran Khan would push his ally Elahi to dissolve the provincial legislature in order to pressure the coalition government were mistaken. Khan has been calling for early elections. Elahi demonstrates no interest in doing this, and Khan appears to prefer to be in charge of Pakistan's most populous province so that he can make decisions from there. To bring about the federal government's collapse, the PTI is now determined to undermine it from that vantage point and erode its power.

In the absence of the opposition, which chooses to abstain from the National Assembly to undermine it, parliament has almost completely broken down. This is a sign of how politics has failed. Politics collapses when conflicts or crises cannot be resolved by political methods and when there is an intractable open-ended impasse. The result is that political institutions become paralyzed and are unable to address, much less resolve political issues.

 

Negotiations to end the current crisis are ruled out due to conflict between the coalition administration and PTI and a lack of communication between them. Both parties seek the legal system to resolve disputes that are primarily political in nature. Although it may not be a new occurrence given the country's troubled political past, it does so more frequently now, underscoring the collapse of politics amid rising tensions.

 

Beyond this, its impact is broad. It drags the judicial branch into politics, turning it into a hotbed of partisan fighting and political contestation. Its verdicts are viewed as problematic by one or the other because it is asked by both sides to settle political conflicts.

 

Khan has often questioned the integrity and impartiality of the higher judiciary since being removed from office. He frequently addressed the judiciary directly in speeches to exert pressure for favorable decisions. He was overjoyed when the SC decided in his ally Elahi's favor.

Leaders of the PML-N have also spoken out against and put pressure on the Supreme Court. The joint news conference held by the leaders of the ruling alliance on the eve of the SC hearing was the most illustrative example. They expressed their lack of faith in the three-judge bench considering Elahi's case and questioned its objectivity. Additionally, several leaders mentioned the "selective justice" it had previously applied. This political rhetoric was created to be useful.

 

Both political adversaries have simultaneously accused one another of "blackmailing" the court and tarnishing its reputation. The higher judiciary could be victimized by the power struggle as a result, which would weaken its authority.

 

Qazi Faez Isa, a senior Supreme Court judge, has questioned the chief justice's decisions about judges' appointments, which has added to the controversy, albeit on a different topic. He said in a lengthy letter that the chief justice was making "unilateral" decisions and using powers that were "not permitted by the Constitution."

 

Days later, in an unprecedented move, all five of the chief justice's nominees for the top court were rejected by the Judicial Commission of Pakistan. Bar organizations from all around the nation had appealed for the seniority principle to be upheld as well as a limitation on the CJ's ability to appoint a bench.

 

Public trust in institutions is damaged by disputes and disagreements at the Supreme Court over such matters. The Pakistani Election Commission is another institution that is under attack. Khan keeps criticizing the ECP and calling for the resignation of the chief election commissioner.

 

For its part, the coalition government is putting more pressure on the ECP to swiftly publish its ruling in the foreign funding matter. The Financial Times' revelation on the foreign funding that the PTI received has given it more feed for the mill. The government, though, is adamant that it opposes any institution-to-institution conflict.

 

Political tensions are likely to persist as the coalition government and PTI's political fortunes change week by week. A severely struggling economy cannot afford this, since it will hasten the nation's descent into a full-blown catastrophe with dire repercussions.

 

The country's foreign exchange reserves are steadily declining. The rupee is falling rapidly. At Rs240 to a dollar, it is now at an all-time low. Every day, economic confidence is declining. Official pronouncements intended to soothe anxious emotions are being discounted by the markets.

 

The consequences of a faltering economy could be even more damaging in the days to come with political conflict showing no signs of ceasing and the temperature rising. The stability of the nation is suffering greatly as a result of the overlapping political and economic instability.

 

The current threat is that the political conflict would develop into a standoff between the Punjab administration and the center. A systemic breakdown could result from this paralyzing both the federal and state governments.

 

A flammable situation is being fueled by statements like the federal interior minister's threat to impose the governor's rule in Punjab if he is denied entry. Provocative statements made by PTI leaders following the SC judgment and after seizing power in Punjab are also offensive. Both parties are reiterating their claims. This portends an impending collision course where neither side can hope to win and where the nation will undoubtedly lose.