It is widely recognized that post-dictatorial societies like Pakistan heavily rely on judicial intersession and this exercise is now at its highest. The recent judicial activity is so hectic that it has become controversial and has reportedly caused rifts within the ranks of the judiciary. These developments have resulted in deepening the prevailing deepening uncertainty that has aggravated the situation further.
Though the main worry currently pertains to economic affairs there is equal disquiet on the political front. Significantly, the restive internal situation in the country belies the decade-old practice that security concerns unified the nation indicating that the matrix has considerably shifted from its axis and it is an ominous sign for the forces that be to heed timely.
The rising deepening uncertainty inside the country has loosened the grip of the power circles over the Pakistani national sentiment to the extent that it appears completely oblivious to the regional upheaval and the consequences that may plague it in the years to come.
It is surprising to witness the political volatility inside the country revealing the gush of resentment harbored by the people over the decades and the ensuing expectations that no force in the country can adequately meet. What is viewed as the lack of a functional working relationship between the government and the opposition has begun to be perceived as a major obstacle for strategic policymaking that requires a buy-in from all stakeholders and all of them have put high premiums on their satisfaction.
The failure was met by both the government of the day and the opposition in arriving at a consensus to resolve pressing national issues. The lack of consensus has gone to the extent that the terrorists have started to take advantage of it.
Deepening Uncertainty And Demorlized Conditions
What is happening now is that the political elements and the establishment find it extremely difficult to join forces to meet the rising challenge of terrorism. Terrorists are now increasing their areas of activity and it appears that their sleeper cells have been alarmingly activated as their regular terrorist attacks bear witness to it. The crucial problem is that the terrorists are bent on hitting the morale of the police force all over the country.
The result is that the police are badly demoralized and this condition could have serious consequences. Despite such a serious situation, the country is beset by political polemics and there appears no end to it. The political situation is nothing but a litany of dirty tactics, particularly the debased language used by all protagonists without realizing the consequences.
The political divide has woefully spilled over to all segments of the social matrix and what is witnessed is the incendiary rhetoric in all aspects of national life. This unprecedented chaos has crowded out debate on substantive matters that are unfolding across the country.
The difficulties on internal matters are so acute that the security apparatus is going haywire with the national leadership seems to have hardly any effect that has since been overshadowed by renewed sniping. Every socio-political aspect has that is directly impacting the economic situation of the country that is exacerbated by the day.
Unfortunately, instead of showing any signs of improvement, matters have always reverted to expressions of mutual loathing. The hostility within the matrix is now affecting almost all matters of state. The absence of an operational working relationship and the heightened level of hostility mean that any effort at national reconciliation is bound to fail.
Provincial Elections
The level of deepening uncertainty could be gauged by the fact that the Chairman NAB resigned reportedly owing to some difficulties with the incumbent government. He was appointed just seven months before and was known to be an upright and efficient officer and his resignation indicates the deepening problems within the country.
Moreover, the constitutional crisis about the date of provincial elections in KP and Punjab and the growing tensions about the holding of national assembly elections point out that the situation is very murky and it is feared that it will become more complex in the coming days.
It is now more than clear that in the absence of mutual amiability, the country may well get into an avoidable constitutional void that is certainly harmful to governance. The main issue is how to sustain the working of the state under the overhang of this hostility and let the ship of governance keep sailing.
The law and order affairs of the country are extremely dicey and it needs level heads in Pakistan to rationally tackle its fall-out but the kind of prevailing sentiment is not conducive to doing so. The country needs collective wisdom and leadership to tide over this difficult situation but such a way out is nowhere visible. With the prevailing situation, it looks highly improbable that saner counsel will prevail and the leadership of the country will jointly work to solve such extremely grim issues. The Weekender
