Pakistan is bestowed with ample natural resources ranging from snow-capped mountains to deeply buried coal. However, in the category of ‘leadership’, Pakistan has been unfortunate to not be bestowed with enough leaders who can lead the nation selflessly, honestly, and without political agendas. The dearth in the production of leaders has grown so astronomical, that people often end up considering the same tried-and-failed politicians as their Messiahs. This often leads to choosing political leaders who have held the stage of politics for a long time. The recent tug of war among political parties to achieve PM office says it all.
The no-confidence motion is set to be voted upon this Sunday. The fate of Prime minister Imran khan hinges upon this very voting. While the nation watched the blatant and audacious turncoats changing sides and disemboweling the electoral and ethical rules apart, another question might have popped up in the minds of people as well: what would the post-no-confidence Pakistan look like?
It is not that difficult to predict at all. Luckily, or unfortunately, the outcomes of such voting are a few and it does not require painstaking intellectual labor to do analysis as well. The possible outcomes may be :
1) either Khan will be removed or he will stay;
2) Shahbaz Sharif ascends to Prime ministership;
3) Asif Ali Zardari emerges as a ‘king maker’;
4) Bilawal and Maryam learn some necessary skills for upcoming elections. All of the conditions discussed in the preceding lines may render different results for Pakistan.
Let’s start with the first condition: Whether Khan stays or goes. The misgovernance, political instability, policy failures, foreign policy gaffes, and unbridled inflation cannot be defended and justified by any means( I personally criticized the policies of this regime on many platforms). However, will ousting khan solve all these issues? That too merely a year before completing his tenure? In case of khan loses in the no-confidence match; he will be out on the streets. A wounded bear. More experienced and vocal than ever. Does the opposition really think that in case it wins the no-confidence, PTI will not give it a tough time the whole next year? On the flip side, if Khan emerges as a victor in the ‘battle of votes’, he will, possibly, be humbled in his approach toward political opponents and may add a few things to his political endeavors in the future.
Second condition: Shahbaz Sharif emerges as a new Prime minister. Shahbaz Sharif has exhibited some laudable administrative skills and political acumen in the past as the Chief Minister of Punjab. However, will he prove to be a sound Prime minister? Fingers crossed. Many people argue that by becoming a party to this no-confidence saga, Pmln and Shahbaz sharif, are set to commit political suicide. Becoming a Prime minister for a year and a half is tempting but disappearing from the politics of Punjab is equally horrifying. With Shahbaz sharif gracing the seat of prime minister, and Chaudhry of Gujrat and TLP emerging as serious political rivals, who is left to campaign for PML-N in Punjab for the next general election? Hamza Shahbaz? Questionable if he can amass much support. Maryam Nawaz? Quite debatable. The post-no-confidence scenario holds a list of issues that Shahbaz sharif will have to address. Rampant Poverty, Skyrocketing inflation, political chaos, institutional paralyze and economic stagnation are some of the issues which will provide an uncomfortable roller-coaster ride for Shahbaz sharif. Will he be able to tackle all these issues in less than two years? Not a chance. By ascending to the throne, Shahbaz sharif’s reputation may nosedive and the survival of PML-N will be ‘endangered’.
Scenario three: the kingmaker. Asif Ali Zardari is considered to be a master politician. He might be. After dethroning khan and supporting Sharif for the Pm ship, what lies ahead for him? Next general elections! Khan will be on the streets, Shahbaz sharif will be wrestling with the issues(unsuccessfully), and Zardari will be campaigning against these both to increase his chances of winning elections. Sindh belongs to PPP. Center is what they desire. It is that simple. One wonders why Pmln time and again chooses to side with PPP despite the latter leaving the former red-faced and embarrassed many times in the near history. It is not wise to be played twice by the same entity and PML-N needs to understand this.
Fourth scenario: notes for wannabee politicians. For Both Bilawal and Maryam Nawaz, it is nothing more than a political learning, an adventure, or a joyful experience. Both have delivered heated speeches against the current regime frequently and both vow to pull Pakistan out of this conundrum. But can they? Fingers crossed again! Both the wannabe leaders will claim to dethrone khan as an ‘ideological victory’ but will be pitted against one another in the next general elections with allegations, accusations, and blame game.
Final scenario: What lies ahead for Pakistan?
In no-confidence voting, no matter who wins, Pakistan is sure to lose. The economy is in shambles, youth is directionless, people are hopeless, institutions are useless, poverty has increased, inflation is high, uncertainty prevails in politics and the masses are on the verge of rebellion. Will all these be solved after this Sunday? Not at all! Will the post-no-confidence motion usher in a new era for Pakistan? Never! Will sanity prevail in the corridors of power? A chimera! Will the politicians finally instill principles and discipline in themselves? A distant dream! For Pakistan, dark times lie ahead. No matter who remains in the PM office after Sunday voting, the ominous dark clouds of uncertainty will still hover over Pakistan and shower, not blessings, but more and more issues. With no fresh supply of honest leaders who are willing to take charge and lead the masses, Post-no-confidence Pakistan is going to haunt us all. This catastrophe can be averted by our politicians if they shun their differences in favor of Pakistan and jointly resist the external pressures today in order to fight another day. But again, can this be materialized? A euphoria!
