- Undoubtedly, there should not be any comparison in administering the democratic form of governance between the sub-continent neighbours viz. India and Pakistan. The world community is quite aware of how the Indian democracy strongly plays out its clearly demarcated role by upholding the sacrosanct Constitution in letter and spirit. In contrast, the way Pakistan’s so-called democracy, remote-controlled by the military-ISI deep nexus, rears its ugly head is also known the world over. One such instance was at play during the last few weeks leading to the ouster of the cricketer-turned-politician Prime Minister shows why our neighbouring country is struggling to remain relevant in the global world order.
PC: Sushant Sareen
- The unfolding drama that resulted in the removal of Imran Khan has created a dubious record for Pakistani politics. He becomes the first PM of the country to lose a no-trust vote. After an intriguing day of high drama where Pakistan’s National Assembly was adjourned multiple times as it sat to take up the no-confidence motion mandated by the ruling of the Pakistani Supreme Court, Khan was left with no choice but to demit office. The writing was already written on the wall since he never had the numbers owing to intra-party dissensions and also the exit of allies propping his government that eventually sealed his fate.
- It was simply astonishing how Khan obdurately held on by citing a so-called foreign conspiracy to topple his government and moving to prevent the no-trust vote from being taken up. Obviously, his unconvincing retort failed to cut any ice with the discerning stakeholders. Moreover, with the Pakistan army rejecting the foreign hand theory and the judiciary sticking to the procedure, it was only a matter of time before Khan’s resistance crumbled. The final no-trust vote, in which 174 out of 342 Pakistani parliamentarians voted in favour of the motion, was a mere formality. Let us delve further into understanding the modus operandi at work here.
PC: DNA Web Team
- Imran Khan may well be the first creation and victim of what is widely referred to as Pakistan’s hybrid regime – a new experiment in Pakistan’s political evolution where the Pakistan army remains at the centre of power but wraps itself with the veneer of institutional propriety. Mind you, the model involves a weak PM being brought to power by the military and then being made to dance to the latter’s tunes. The world knows about Khan’s electoral victory in 2018 as one of the most managed elections in Pakistan’s history following this pattern. Practically, he was the dummy PM carrying on the instructions of the military all along with his tenure.
- So, what made the tide turn against the PM? The biggest mistake of Khan was that he forgot conveniently not to be his own master. The less said the better about his legacy. He leaves Pakistan with the highest level of debt burden in its history, the lowest level of currency ever, the third-highest level of inflation in the world, and relations with India in tatters. Pakistan’s Parliament will elect a new PM with the leader of the opposition Shehbaz Sharif tipped to take the top office. Sadly, another Sharif’s return to the helm would only signify the continuation of dynastic rule in Pakistani politics with the control largely in the hands of the generals at Rawalpindi GHQ.
