Epic games of thrones in national politics have invited clouds of distrust for the establishment. Their strategy to satisfy all influential stakeholders to achieve political Pareto efficiency (a point where one party has to sacrifice to make others better off) has erupted in unprecedented power clashes between political parties, taking the country towards a dead end.
The desperate attempts to seize more power or defend their power have always been tantrums of the power elite, whose price is often paid by the masses.
In previous times, regime change took a massive bloodbath and sacrifice of the poor’s; now, this battle has arrived inside assemblies, but their consequences hunt down the whole population whose fate has been reduced to a question mark.
The special events of April 2022 created an environment of chaos & anxiety in public which even roared the risk of civil war in Pakistan.
This political crisis discomforted the financial markets and poured investors’ confidence in the economy, increasing the miseries of the government in stabilizing the already troubled economy followed by Russo-Ukrainian War which damaged our economy externally, and Massive flooding disturbed the economy internally.
A stumbling growth rate and fragile economy demand stability of policies, economic conditions, and business-friendly behavior, which needs absolute political stability as a pre-requisite. All ruling parties are well-aware of this fact, then why are they taking a colossal risk at the brink of default?
Arch Rivals, PML-N & PTI are playing dangerous power games to kick each other out of national politics, especially from Punjab. But doesn’t every political party procure hatred to demean others, increase their role in politics, and undermine others? Here is something different going on this time.
The establishment’s neutral role has scared off both for their future. The PML-N needs a solid narrative to pave its way for the 2023 elections. It wants to prove that its Non-confidence movement was an accurate move and that they have created a difference by coming into power because they consider itself a champion of economic affairs.
However, a massive inflation wave followed by regime change has struck the fundamental narrative of PML-N and has made them far more unpopular than ever. Simultaneously, the collapse of power in the Centre has helped PTI to gain unprecedented sympathies, which pushed PML-N into hot waters.
Though today PTI is popular, their narrative would shatter if somehow the federal government succeeds in stabilizing the economy. These conditions have put both parties under extreme pressure to eliminate the other for good; otherwise, any of them can suffer huge political costs if the other survives this crucial time.
The state of Do or Die has unstabilized them and their ruling subjects, ultimately causing significant damage to the economy.
From the drama of the non-confidence movement to Punjab’s chief minister’s election, power clash has taken an intensive form. However, the survival of democracy in these crises has confirmed that all stakeholders (including the establishment) have put their confidence in democratic regimes as crisis handlers, whose perks will be visible after the 2023 general elections. Still, one political party must be emerged as a national party in the 2023 elections to curb the current political crisis and bring uniformity of policies pertaining to economic & political decisions to revive the journey of progress and move towards civil supremacy.
Otherwise, Pakistan will end up like a flying kite destined to conform to the dictation of winds having no vision of progress.
