Pakistan’s Political Elite Driving The Nation To A Dead End – OpEd
The political elite of Pakistan is trying to bring the country on the verge of unprecedented chaos. The pivot of discussion for every political party is ‘how to assume power?’ while the country is facing one of the worst economic crises of history. Leading the mayhem is the chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-I-Insaaf, Imran Khan, who is furious about his removal from the office being the Prime Minister of Pakistan though through a totally constitutional process.
The ousted PM though did not deliver anything remarkable during his 3.5 years tenure has now become a populist leader of Pakistan by playing the card of religion. On the other hand, the opposite bloc that is in power currently is struggling to take any meaningful steps towards the stability of the falling economy and political crisis.
In yet another controversial statement the former Prime Minister said that “he was shocked to see the “thieves” being foisted on the country, adding that dropping an atomic bomb would have been better than handing over the helm to these people”. Such statements are becoming a new normal these days in the country’s political circles. The question however is why in the last 14 years no effort has been made by the political powers to avoid such hue and cry.
Not indulging in the number game one can clearly say that every party has the manpower to support its narrative and a head-on collision seems unavoidable now. The political elites are trying to create a Tahrir square kind of situation in Pakistan that would prove to be the last nail in the coffin for Pakistan’s economic and political stability.
Moreover, dragging the military in their struggle for power surge is another blunder that may cause military intervention in the political spectrum to become inevitable. Above all, if there is anyone who is suffering in this commotion is Pakistan as a sovereign state with the status of being the only nuclear power in the Muslim world. It is a test for every Pakistani, whether they are with these political elites who have become a danger to their identities or with the country that has given them these identities.
*About Author: Humais Sheikh is an independent defense analyst from Islamabad. He has completed his Masters in Defense and Strategic Studies from Quaid-I-Azam University, Islamabad.
