At present, there is an ongoing struggle between the government, the opposition, and the silent majority of the public. Well-informed patriots have only one prayer: that this conflict is resolved peacefully because the country cannot afford any further unrest and destruction. Unfortunately, the country lacks a visionary leader or a political and religious party that has the public’s trust and respect, and that can lead the nation towards modernization and development. As a result, several influential groups are active in Pakistan whose loyalty to the country is questionable and whose only desire seems to be to destroy the nation.
The entire nation and the authorities are well aware of the situation in our border provinces; there’s no need for further details, just prayer and solutions.
Meanwhile, our government has chosen a battleground of its own liking and has initiated another constitutional amendment, which was hastily passed overnight. God knows what this new amendment will bring forth for the public. There is no functioning democratic opposition, while the hidden opposition is more active underground than above. Anyone can face an open threat, but it’s not easy to combat a hidden one. Speculations continue in Islamabad about the future of the current government, but we are indifferent to whether the government stays or goes we’ve learned to be cautious after past experiences.
The coalition government under Shehbaz Sharif has struck the drums of war. Fortunately, we have a constitution in place, one that cannot be denied. However, successive governments have distorted it by amending it as per their whims, needs, and preferences. The 1973 Constitution is the result of Bhutto’s vision, foresight, and struggle, and it is a guarantor of our unity. If the flaws in the system were addressed and justice was implemented in its true spirit, many of the nation’s problems could be resolved. Instead, retaining the existing flaws while introducing new amendments only adds further ambiguity. Much effort was put into passing this new amendment; when Shehbaz Sharif couldn’t convince Maulana Fazlur Rahman, the task was handed over to Bilawal Bhutto, who eventually managed to appease Maulana.
Leaders of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) also met with Maulana several times, even praying under his leadership at his residence. My father used to tell a story: Once, during a tour of various institutions in Rawalpindi, President Zia-ul-Haq entered a mosque at prayer time. The Imam suggested that since he was the head of state, he should lead the prayer. Zia-ul-Haq led the prayer, with the Imam and other worshippers following him. These days, Maulana is in the limelight, with both government allies and opposition leaders visiting him daily. A PML-N political leader once humorously remarked, “Today is being celebrated as Maulana Day.” Nevertheless, Maulana has his own political ideology and style; he often says and does much with a subtle smile, and nowadays, his influence is soaring. He has shown maturity, and during his speech in the National Assembly, he even acknowledged his harshest critic, the founder of PTI, and endorsed PTI’s protest stance.
The amendments have now become law, and according to our leaders, they have extracted the venom from the black snake and broken its teeth. People like me, from rural areas, are quite familiar with snakes because, in the village, snakes always come out of their holes at night, and travelers always carry a stick and a light to protect themselves from the snake’s deadly bite. However, our leaders made irresponsible and emotional remarks late at night in the bright lights about removing the black snake’s venom—comments that were unnecessary on the assembly floor. Parliament is an institution of the people, and such ambiguous statements could further complicate problems rather than solve them. Remember, the snake’s teeth grow back, and when they do, there may be no cure for its bite.
If only our political parties, including PTI, would realize that they need to sit at the same table to strengthen the supremacy and integrity of the parliament, perhaps they could lay the foundation for a new charter that would empower the country’s supreme institution.