IT could prove to be the briefest of respites, but in this season of great political uncertainty and danger, common sense and caution articulated by national leaders ought to be seriously considered. Four political speeches delivered over the weekend, if taken together, could provide a template for a de-escalation of institutional tensions in the country. The newly installed president of the PML-N and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif delivered an unsurprising, but important speech in which he once again suggested an inter-institutional dialogue in the country. The aim is to reduce political tensions, have institutions operate within their constitutional domains and re-establish national stability to address some of the fundamental challenges that continue to plague state and society. The younger Sharif is right. He may be unable to explicitly say so, but the country cannot afford a forever-crisis that leaves mainstream political parties fearful for their futures and desperate to seek political accommodation with seemingly all-powerful anti-democratic forces.

Over the same weekend as the chief minister’s sensible call for dialogue, two other members of the Sharif family — the two at the centre of the national political storm — Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz, delivered political speeches that, unusually for them, did not directly verbally assault the judiciary or indirectly attack the military leadership. In these fraught times, that itself could constitute an opportunity for moderate political forces to try and institute an inter-institutional dialogue. The elder Sharif and Ms Nawaz ought to consider holding their political fire for a while. While some of their grievances are valid, there is an argument to be made that the cause of democracy will not be strengthened by political elements that have been deeply wounded by anti-democratic forces. A verbal truce by the Sharifs could allow for more cooperative-minded political forces to find a path to democratic revival.

Of the four speeches, perhaps the National Party’s Hasil Bizenjo delivered the most institutionally relevant argument. Mr Bizenjo was irate following the Senate chairman election, a vote that will surely be remembered in the annals of manipulated elections in the country as a grave disservice to democracy. But the NP leader has rightly indicated that the only path forward must be an inter-institutional dialogue. Democratic institutions, constitutional institutions and state institutions must work together to find national stability. For that to happen, there must be recognition by other institutions that they have, either unwittingly or directly, destabilised the democratic process in the country. Set aside the Sharifs and their political fate. Some of the actions attributed to other institutions or suspicions of the intentions of the latter have undermined democratic tenets and principles. Democratic continuity requires other institutions to accept their constitutional remits and respect political mandates.

Published in Dawn, March 20th, 2018