Political seesaw in Pakistan
Politics as it’s called an art of possible, carries infinite possibilities. This is particularly true when it comes to Pakistani politics where political seesaw goes on unabated all the time with even more vigor and vivacity as the time goes by.
The current political seesaw that we witness in Pakistan’s politics these days is not a new phenomenon in Pakistan’s gimmicky, rather tricky political history as the country has been experiencing such political ups and downs in the past too for the last five decades if not more.
Without delving too deep into the past, we can vividly remember Pakistan People’s Party founding Chairman ZA Bhutto rising to power in 1971 after a prolonged military rule of general Ayub Khan followed by general Yahya Khan.
During the mid-eighties, this seesaw game saw Muhammad Khan Junejo, the head of PML (J), catapulted to power in 1985 which was replaced by Benazir Bhutto of PPP in 1988. In 1990, Nawaz Sharif, head of PML -N came to power. This seesaw game continued, and between 1988 and 1999, the office of PM was held by Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif turn by turn, each holding office for two non-consecutive terms between 1988 and 1999, with BB from 1988-1990 and 1993-1996, and NS from 1990-1993 and 1997-1999.
With general Musharraf in the saddle from the twilight days of 1999 to early 2008, the country saw economic stability, particularly during initial four years of his rule. During his rule Pakistan’s political landscape once again experienced political seesaw with the entry of a new political party that was launched under the name of PML (Q) headed by Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and duly patronized by general Musharraf.
With the exit of general Musharraf from the political scene in 2008, PPP under Asif Ali Zardari came to power and remained in the saddle till 2013. In general elections of 2013, Nawaz Sharif succeeded in making his way to the corridors of power for the third time and remained in power till he was ousted in 2017 after he was sentenced in Panama case.
In the general elections of 2018, the political seesaw propelled Imran Khan to power who presented himself as a messiah donning the mantle of a reformer and claiming to establish an Islamic welfare state with egalitarian rule on the lines of Riyasat-e-Madinah, and carrying an antidote to cure the country’s ailing economy, education, health and justice system.
During the initial two-and– a half years of his rule, Imran Khan maintained good relations with ‘the powers that be’ and proudly claimed to be on the same page. But, as luck would have it, all turned topsy-turvy and he picked up a gratuitous row with the establishment on an issue that was purely a professional matter and could be resolved without getting entangled.
Soon after he lost establishment’s support, and things started spinning out of Imran khan’s control, the political seesaw tilted in favor of his opponents, eventually sending him packing through a vote of no-confidence only to be replaced by PDM coalition parties.
It’s said that in politics there is no permanent foe or friend. Today’s sworn enemy may become bosom friend tomorrow. This has been proven beyond any shred of doubt after Imran Khan backtracked from his earlier stance vis-à-vis Moulanah sahib and went back on the diatribe carrying harsh statements and indecent outpourings that had been gushing out of his mouth against Moulana sahib in the past, and thought it expedient to offer an olive branch to the latter by sending a political delegation led by Asad Qaisar to his residence.
This has made one thing decidedly clear that everything is fair and acceptable when the end justifies the means, a Machiavellian political philosophy given in his famous political treatise, “The Prince”. It has also made it clear that moralization on principles, uprightness and ethics makes a mere political rhetoric meant for public consumption only and not to be taken on its face value.
The latest political seesaw manifests itself in a new shape after the general elections 2024 which was conducted amidst much fanfare and political hype, but has unfortunately, been made controversial due to the allegations of massive rigging, thus turning the political environment sour and leaving it in an utter disarray and shemozzle.
In such an uproarious political atmosphere, it’s highly amusing to see Moulana Fazal ur Rahman sahib joining the chorus and singing the song of election rigging in unison with PTI almost a week after elections were conducted. However, this belated outcry by Moulana sahib fails to convince the audience and the allegations levelled by him seem to be insubstantial. The self-contradictory statements carrying allegations levelled against certain individuals by Moulana sahib mismatch his stature as a religious scholar.
The latest exchange of friendly overtures by Moulana Fazalur Rahman and Imran Khan, both of whom have remained bitter political rivals to the extent of being sworn enemies, comes as a political bonhomie between the two politicians. It reminds me of the famous English saying which goes: “The enemy of my enemy is my friend”. Their common enemy has made them forget their unforgettable past and has brought them closer.
Having said all that, the fluidity and unpredictability of politics in a country like Pakistan makes itself more pronounced when politicians reckon politics as a zero-sum game, and fail to exhibit maturity and professionalism, thus making acquisition of power by hook or by crook as their Summum bomum and ultimate objective. In a quest for power and in a bid to achieve that objective, they act in a manner which falls short of a great political leader.