CAN THERE BE A FOURTH POLITICAL OPTION IN PAKISTAN BY MOONIS AHMAR PUBLISHED IN THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, 0CTOBER 16, 2020

Pakistan’s political and economic history is replete with back-to-back crises. The ongoing predicament which has engulfed Pakistan is related to the action plan of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) to dislodge Imran Khan’s government from power by announcing a series of public meetings, the use of street power and resignation from assemblies. Certainly, the prevailing crisis emanating from the opposition’s resolve to have fresh, free and fair elections cannot be undermined but one needs to analyse whether the current crisis will lead to another phase of instability and chaos threatening the very existence of the country.

Large-scale disillusionment from the PTI-led government because of bad governance, sharp escalation in prices of essential items, absence of the rule of law, and rampant corruption and nepotism provides a valuable opportunity to the discredited main opposition parties — the PPP and the PML-N — to seek popular support in launching a final movement against the regime and to push for its exit from power.

The issue is not to get rid of the PTI-led government which, the opposition believes, has been imposed on the people by manipulating the July 2018 elections, but a serious credibility gap concerning the PPP and the PML-N because of their dismal track record of governance while in power from 1988-1999 and 2008 till 2018. Large-scale corruption, nepotism and misuse of authority by the two regimes made the people’s lives miserable to the extent that they found a ray of hope in the form of a third force i.e. the PTI. Imran Khan’s struggle for power since 1996 centred on eradicating corruption and nepotism, ensuring good governance and establishing an Islamic welfare state on the model of the state of Medina. But, the PTI government’s performance since August 2018 till today is highly disappointing as it failed to meet the people’s aspirations.

When the PPP and the PML-N have been tested in power several times, and the third force i.e. the PTI miserably failed in delivering, can one expect a fourth political force to emerge in the months to come to fill the vacuum left behind as a result of the failure of the three mentioned parties? Would the fourth force pull Pakistan out from the existing political, economic and governance crisis and put the country on the road to stability by effectively dealing with economic issues; providing relief to people from a sharp price hike; and ensuring good governance and the rule of law and justice? From where can a fourth political force emerge and how can it be different from the three main parties currently in the fray?

The fourth force will not emerge from the wilderness but its existence depends on widespread frustration and anger among the 220 million people of Pakistan. Around 65% of Pakistan’s population is composed of the youth whose future is at stake. The PTI claimed to empower the youths and secure their future by bringing change in society, but it is these youths who have suffered the most because of rising unemployment and price hike. But, there is a counter-narrative which negates the possibility of the emergence of a fourth political force because of an entrenched culture of corruption, nepotism and status quo. While the PTI projected itself as an anti-status quo political force, once in power, it compromised on its principles and failed to transform the hope among the people into reality.

The possibility of the emergence of a fourth political force can be examined in two ways, as follows:

First, ironically the educated and honest segment of Pakistani society is generally not involved in politics or the electoral process. If educated people, particularly the youth, decide to join politics and contest elections from a new political platform, one can expect a better future for Pakistan. Qualified people, irrespective of gender, race, religion, sect and social background must join politics and play a leadership role in order to save Pakistan from back-to-back crises. As a result, within 20 years there may occur a qualitative change in the country’s culture which can transform into a democratic, egalitarian and enlightened culture from the existing one that features feudalism, tribalism and corruption. What has happened in 73 years of Pakistan’s history is that politics has been dominated by fiefdoms and the culture of sycophancy. Imran Khan vowed to change it but failed because his own party admitted a large number of turncoats, opportunists, so-called electables and people with dubious character — who all later dominated his government. In case a fourth force is able to emerge in the coming few years, the monopoly of the three main political parties will be broken and politics will be the domain of those who are better educated, honest and professional in their approach. One wonders if there is any possibility of people with integrity and caliber joining politics and contesting elections so that the traditional mode of politics is done away with and we get people who are capable of dealing with real issues. The prevailing political scene has exposed the political parties’ failure to play a leadership role in effectively dealing with domestic and foreign policy challenges, and has provided an opportunity for a fourth force to emerge. Like-minded people are required to unite and form a political party where criteria is to adhere to merit, better performance and accountability rather than to grab power, wealth and privileges and obey either the family running that party or an individual.

Second, a fourth political force should distinguish itself from the PPP, the PML-N and the PTI by relying on the power of people rather than on some state institution. That force should not be patronised by non-democratic organs of state but should emerge and survive on its own. Doing politics on merit, it should focus on social and human development while rejecting politics done on ethnic, religious, sect or social class. It should not do politics from their comfort zones but in the midst of the people belonging to poor and middle classes of society which has always been let down by the ruling elite. Pakistan is the world’s sixth most populated country — and has the world’s best minds. It is time for these best minds to emerge as a fourth force and properly utilise the country’s geographical location, landscape, natural beauty, mineral resources as well as human resources.

The only way the culture of rapes, child molestation, extra-judicial killings, missing persons and misuse of power and religion for political and personal purposes can be changed is when there is a political force which is broadminded, educated, enlightened, democratic, accountable, tolerant and prudent so that it can pull Pakistan out from frustration, anger, antagonism, extremism, intolerance, violence and terrorism. If a fourth political force with the characteristics discussed above emerges purely with the support of the people, one can expect a bright future for Pakistan.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 16th, 2020.