As the nation marked 79 years of independence, Pakistan’s top political leadership stressed the need for stability, reforms and global peace. President Asif Zardari said independence was not only a historic achievement but a responsibility each generation must carry forward, while Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called for a renewed national resolve to work together for development and prosperity, peace and stability, mutual harmony and national unity. This may sound like familiar Independence Day rhetoric, but the message matters because Pakistan’s future depends heavily on whether its political leadership can rediscover the value of democratic consensus. Pakistan has been through a great deal in the past seven decades. Much of the blame for the current ‘hybrid’ situation is placed on the political experiments conducted by powerful institutions. There is certainly justification for that argument. But our political leadership also cannot be excused for its share in weakening democracy.
There was, however, a time when politicians learned from their mistakes. The signing of the Charter of Democracy (CoD) by the PPP and PML-N was one such moment, both leaderships realising they had been played against each other for almost 11 years. Their decision to sign the charter was therefore a profound moment in Pakistan’s democratic history: two bitter political rivals recognised that protecting the democratic system was more important than their political differences. Some believed Imran Khan, too, would learn from the experiences of Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif. But he refused to engage with his political opponents both when he was in power and when he was out of it. None of this, however, justifies the persecution of a political party. The political class must recognise that if it wants to reclaim political space and relevance, it must stand united despite its differences. Politics is, of course, about acquiring power. But the pursuit of power cannot justify taking down the entire system. All political parties therefore need to sit together – and soon. The country faces serious internal and external threats that require political consensus rather than perpetual confrontation.
On the diplomatic and foreign policy front, Pakistan has performed remarkably well and needs to build on its goodwill. This is a rare opportunity that should not be wasted because of domestic political divisions. Internally, political parties need consensus on terrorism, a mechanism for free and fair elections, and a few other constitutional matters. A political consensus on terrorism would also strengthen the country’s ability to deal with external threats. A divided political system makes it harder to formulate and sustain a coherent national response. Economic stability also requires political stability to an extent. Businesses, investors and citizens need predictability and a country consumed by political uncertainty cannot easily build the confidence necessary for sustained economic growth. Pakistan also needs a strong opposition. The opposition has been decimated in more ways than one. That is not on, regardless of who is in opposition. Democracy cannot function properly without an opposition that scrutinises the government, focuses on genuine public issues and offers credible alternatives. But opposition politics too cannot simply be about creating more chaos. This is why the government must reach out to the PTI and its allies once again and have a serious discussion about the way forward. Such engagement does not require political parties to abandon their differences. They just need to recognise that certain democratic principles and national interests must stand above partisan rivalry. Seventy-nine years after independence, Pakistan does not need another cycle of political confrontation. The right direction for us is via political unity.
