Political observers have unanimously predicted that the next government, which will form after the February 8 general elections, will stand on shaky ground and fail to bring much-needed political and economic stability to the country.
Chief Editor of The Express Tribune Naveed Hussain, speaking on Express News talk show 'Experts' on Thursday, highlighted the essence of democracy and said a true democracy is when the people get to elect their representatives.
Expressing concern over the current scenario, he said a significant number of individuals are being "disenfranchised" from the political process.
“The true representative of the masses will be the strongest candidate for the post of prime minister, but how can a government be representative of the people if the elections are managed, how can we say that the government was elected by the people," said Hussain.
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He further said that previous governments were always on 'crutches'. The senior journalist pointed out that despite tall claims made by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) regarding plans for economic recovery and political stability, the plans would be compromised once the government comes into existence in such a scenario.
“A government standing on shaky ground is unable to bring political and economic stability, as we witnessed post-2018 elections, crutches can be snatched away at any time,” Hussain added.
The senior journalist elaborated that in the prevailing political situation, the new government will rely on support from some other quarter, and when that support is withdrawn, all plans and programs would have been in vain.
Hussain underscored the vital importance of conducting free and fair elections and said that a government reflecting the will of the people will be able to bring political and economic stability, which the country is in dire need of.
Express News Bureau Chief Islamabad Amir Ilyas Rana concurred with Hussain's viewpoint but expressed hope that a political party might be able to secure a simple majority.
Read ‘A govt coming to power through stage-managed election will be standing on thin ice’
Talking about PTI, he said the party claims that they will emerge victorious whether they have the electoral symbol of bat or not. Highlighting the party's popularity, he mentioned the internal differences now emerging and gave the example of Barrister Gohar's and Sher Afzal Marwat's statements regarding the chief justice.
The bureau chief also criticised Bilawal’s speech and said his threats will never yield results. “Majority of PML-N wants to make Nawaz Sharif the prime minister for the fourth time. Maryam Nawaz and Shehbaz Sharif can also be candidates but Nawaz Sharif will decide,” Amir added.
Group Editor of Daily Express Ayaz Khan responded to a question by the anchor and compared Bilawal and Nawaz Sharif's stance on the prime ministerial candidate.
“Asif Zardari has taken the step of choosing a family member for the prime minister's role, Nawaz Sharif should also make a similar sacrifice and nominate Maryam Nawaz,” Khan suggested.
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Khan also mentioned that he has not observed significant election preparation by PML-N.
Regarding PTI, he said that the party is not in court for the electoral symbol of the bat. He hoped that the Supreme Court would expedite the judgment process, recalling the chief justice's stance on lifetime disqualification cases in which the chief justice had emphasised the importance of resolving such cases before elections to eliminate ambiguity.
Express News Bureau Chief Karachi Faisal Husain raised a question mark on the whole electoral process and termed it a 'fixed match'. He said that the target audience of the political parties in these elections is not the public but the 'umpire'.
Faisal also voiced his concern about not being asked about the PTI's role in the upcoming elections and said the party is a political reality, one can disagree with it but it has a following.
Express News Bureau Chief Lahore Mohammad Ilyas said that Zardari must have some information hence Bilawal came to Lahore, as they are confident that the position of prime minister is within their grasp. He added that the PML-N seems better in Punjab but PPP will give it a tough time.
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