After several rounds of negotiations between delegations from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and government alliance nominees on the advice of the Supreme Court, no decision could be made regarding the holding or postponement of the elections. Both parties have refused to budge from their positions, with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf unwilling to move forward from their stance and the ruling party not intending to back down from theirs. Therefore, the negotiations did not yield any results. Elections are not currently scheduled in Punjab on May 14, and the matter has once again been brought to the Supreme Court for a decision.
In the debate over whether or not to hold elections, internal disagreements among political parties are also becoming apparent. Those candidates who were unable to receive tickets after the decision on the distribution of tickets have become resentful. However, despite the uncertainty surrounding the timing of the elections, party members are adhering to party discipline and do not want to leave the party as a spectacle, because if the timing of the elections becomes clear after some time, the process of ticket re-distribution may occur and there may be a chance of receiving a ticket.
During the negotiations, both sides took a tough stance and implemented the decision of the Supreme Court. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has even submitted its report to the Supreme Court. Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has already visited London to consult with his brother and to seek guidance on the upcoming events and elections. Meanwhile, Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif was initially in favor of the elections but failed to act on his position due to his allies in the Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N).
In the backdrop of skyrocketing inflation, the government’s reluctance towards holding elections through a political alliance is a natural phenomenon. No political pundit would predict a win for the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in the face of such severe inflation. Therefore, the PTI is resorting to various tactics to delay the elections until the economic conditions improve. On the other hand, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is creating more difficulties regarding inflation in the agreement. Despite fulfilling all the IMF’s conditions, the government has not yet received a green signal for the agreement. This is because of personal clashes between individuals. The government’s expectations from Finance Minister Asad Umar have all been in vain. The economic improvement that he had promised has now turned into national disappointment, and the people are currently experiencing economic difficulties and despair. No one has a solution to this problem. Therefore, at this time, the nation should immediately move towards elections so that political stability can be achieved, which will eventually lead to economic stability. In this regard, Imran Khan’s vision and the demand of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf is a political necessity and the only solution to national issues is to hold transparent and fair elections immediately.
Imran Khan’s inspiring leadership has united the nation in a way that has never been seen before. Even during the 1970 elections, the nation was not standing with Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto in the same way that they stand with Imran Khan now. If an election were to be held now, the people would not be looking at any political party manifesto or any candidate, they would simply be blindly following Imran Khan’s charisma and pushing the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) into power. This fear is what has forced rulers to delay holding elections.
However, how long will these delaying tactics keep the nation from the elections? After all, one day elections will be held. The longer the delay, the more Imran’s popularity is increasing. Last year, after Nawaz Sharif lost a vote of no confidence against Imran Khan and his party formed the government, the advice to hold elections immediately was absolutely correct. However, instead of relying on their political insight, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) had to trust in Ahsan Iqbal and Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s political maturity, which has now led them to be trapped in an economic crisis and struggle to find a way out.
Despite the unclear state of the election, Imran Khan has kept his political fervor high and is continuously igniting the passion of his party workers by organizing political rallies. His political maneuvers will play a crucial role in his party’s victory in the upcoming election. Given the current political and economic conditions, it is imperative that fair and transparent elections be held immediately. A mutually agreed-upon plan should be devised to ensure that after the election, no party can raise concerns over its transparency and integrity, and the political process can move forward smoothly.
