A NEW chapter in the history of Pakistani democracy may be written by parliament today. Though a vote of no-confidence against the prime minister is not without precedent, today may mark the first time the National Assembly sends a government packing.

Before Prime Minister Imran Khan, Benazir Bhutto and Shaukat Aziz had, in 1989 and 2006, respectively, faced a test of their government’s resilience. Unlike those two, however, Mr Khan — unless he springs a last-minute surprise which he has promised to — seems positioned to lose the vote. There are similarities, too, between the past and the present. Reprehensible and damaging precedents have been set once again by both opposition and government parties. Elected leaders have again shown that they can shamelessly abandon both allies and principles in their pursuit of personal gains. Loyalties have again been bought and sold, greatly diminishing the legitimacy of parliamentary democracy in the eyes of the citizenry.

Editorial: The PM has made the most of his last days in office by playing a shrewd hand

As defeat looms, Mr Khan has made it clear he will not go gentle into the night. Determined to turn his ouster — if he remains unable to prevent it — into a moment of political martyrdom, Mr Khan has built up a combative narrative, melding religious beliefs with nationalistic fervour. He has framed his troubles as the result of an international conspiracy abetted by local actors, accusing PTI dissidents and opposition leaders of being ‘traitors’ for their alleged complicity in the plot.

This is a dangerous ploy, as it will provoke the sentiments of PTI’s charged up-supporters and may trigger violence in the streets. With the prime minister urging his electorate to turn out in large numbers before the vote to protest this ‘conspiracy’, matters can take a dangerous turn. There are fears that protesters may violently confront opposition and dissident MPs ahead of the vote. The opposition has already expressed concerns for the safety of those going to parliament today. One hopes sufficient preparations have been made to prevent matters from spiralling dangerously out of hand.

Meanwhile, the army chief seems to have chosen a questionable time to publicly break ranks with the PTI government. His statement at the Islamabad Security Dialogue on the Russia-Ukraine conflict is likely to rekindle civil-military tensions. His opinion reveals he stands considerably at odds with the PTI government on the matter. The army chief is entitled to his views, but it would have been better if they were expressed through policy formulated by the National Security Committee rather than before a public audience including foreign observers. This decision has only renewed doubts regarding the actual ‘neutrality’ of the establishment. With Pakistan on the verge of what may be a period of political turmoil, the public should not have been left feeling as if yet another public representative is being prematurely shown the door because they crossed the powers that be.

Published in Dawn, April 3rd, 2022