The fast-changing political panorama in the country will continue to remain topsy-turvy as no dull day in politics is expected till the next general elections.
Here are are a few things that will pose as major challenges for the political parties as the critical election draws close.
Elections controversy
The dust in the matter of conducting elections in the country won’t likely settle before the passage of the finance bill 2023-24, i.e. budget. The government has scheduled to present the finance bill on June 9 and it normally takes about two weeks to pass the budget.
Political campaign
The electioneering will not be the same as seen earlier. The romance that we now see between some of the ruling parties will vanish after the announcement of the election schedule. The question arises as to how or if Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf will be allowed to launch a political campaign.
Population census
One of the major reasons for a rift between the ruling parties could be on the matter of conducting polls on the basis of population census, 2017, as MQM-Pakistan and others have already raised their concerns about it.
Awarding of tickets
The important phase of awarding tickets will not only be a daunting task for the PTI, but the ruling parties too will face difficulty to accommodate PTI dissidents into their ranks.
The alliances and seat adjustments of parties in the coalition PDM could also be different from the rest of the elections in the country, as the alliance may not remain united in the near future.
Constitutional crisis
Though the country, in the current scenario, cannot afford more ‘adventures’, yet more constitutional and political crises may emerge in the days ahead, on the following basis.
NA term
The National Assembly will complete its term in the second week of August, and if the government and the opposition fail to schedule next general elections, a constitutional controversy would soon emerge.
- President’s term
The president’s tenure will reach its conclusion by September, but rumours are rife on social media that President Arif Alvi may tender his resignation at any given time in wake of the ongoing PTI desertions.
In this scenario, chairman Senate will play the role of acting president and the ruling clique will have to choose a new president to fill in the crucial seat.
- Caretaker setup
The ruling alliance will have to sit together soon after the passage of the budget to deliberate on the next caretaker premier of the country.
Before the formal meeting of Leader of the Opposition in National Assembly, Raja Riaz and the Leader of the House, Shehbaz Sharif, the ruling parties will have to agree on a name for the slot.
Pakistan Muslim League (Q) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement could gain importance in the political arena near the polls and in the next setup, as the PTI dissidents, mainly the electable, may head to these parties as well.
In a recent development, more than two dozen members have contacted the PML-Q. The role of Jahangir Tareen and Chaudhary Nisar would also be important in the forthcoming politics.__The Friday Times
