ISLAMABAD  -  The constant upheaval in the country’s politics is seemingly not going to end soon rather it could see more ripples in the near future. The political players these days are engaged in multi-faceted political brawl owing to the complex nature of political issues.

The present government, mainly the ruling party [PML-N], has been facing a plethora of judicial and political challenges since taking the reins. Though the government formed with the support of allies, it has mostly seen sole political warrior to combat with political opponents in and outside the parliament.

The rest of the ruling cliques [PPP, MQM-P and other partners] are not actually creating hurdles but are not seen at forefront at different political episodes in the near past.

The Shehbaz Sharif led government has recently approved the ‘Election Act Amendment Bill 2024’ with the majority. The legislation has become an ‘act of parliament’ after the signature of President Asif Ali Zardari has barred independents from joining a political party. It also restrains political parties from submitting priority lists of their candidates for reserved seats after the passage of the stipulated timeline.

This political move would obviously prove damaging for the PTI, which has recently got the status of becoming the largest party in the national assembly. The apex court had tipped the scales in the favour of PTI which also snatched the privilege of two-third majority to ensure important legislations.

PPP’s chairman Bilawal’s criticism on distribution of reserved seats and signature of his father [President Asif Ali Zardari] has provided some sigh of relief to the ruling party, which obviously is not in a position to afford any reservation from its coalition partners.

To counter this move, the PTI has immediately knocked the door of the Supreme Court [SC]. PTI’s legal advisor Advocate Shoaib Shaheen said they have submitted a petition in the Supreme Court (SC) over the recent legislation [Election Act Amendment Bill 2024] from both houses of the parliament. “We will challenge the recent legislation carried out in line with retrospective effects. It was based on ill intention,” said PTI’s legal brain advocate Muhammad Shoaib Shaheen while talking to The Nation.

The development could also once again create a situation of unavoidable clash between the government and the judiciary, as the apex court has recently given verdict in the favour of PTI. The country’s electoral watchdog, respecting the court order, also awarded the seats to the PTI but later changed its stance after passing almost a fortnight time period.

Over the same nature of situations in the past, political and constitutional observers viewed that this situation might lead to much controversy in the country. The confrontation or clash type situation between the government and the judiciary had also happened in the past as well. Citing the examples of retrospective nature of decisions, political pundits shared the examples of clash type situations over the legislation of 18th amendment, NAB amendment etc.

Commenting on the parliament’s role, a veteran figure desiring not to be named viewed that the parliament sometime accept the proposed amendment but sometime sticks to its stance on logical basis.

The country, for the last couple of years, has undoubtedly been witnessing an unpleasant economic situation which cannot afford more confrontation among the political players. Even after passing the six-month, 342-member house has yet not been completed due to the controversy of reserved seats. It has never happened in the parliament’s history that the house runs without completing all its members.

On the other hand, the PTI has not only challenged the legislation but also given a veiled threat of a series of protests in and outside the parliament. They, with the statement of their leader about conditional apology, have also been claiming to topple the government in not more than two month. Political observers believed that this political chaos in the country clearly reflecting that the coming two months would be much important for the government and its opponents.