THE 26th Constitutional Amendment did not come out of the blue. Rather, it was the culmination of many long nights of repression and controversial verdicts. With the exception of the government dismissal in 1993 by the then president, which was overturned by the Supreme Court, all other dismissals were upheld. In more recent times, two elected prime ministers were sent home by the judiciary, which sparked a nationwide debate.

By sending elected prime ministers home unceremoniously, the judiciary humiliated the people’s mandate and overrode the powers of parliament. Such ‘activism’ compelled parliament to assert its power in defence of the idea of people’s supremacy.

Yet, amidst this political and legal drama, the people, badly caught up in a host of formidable problems and struggling for mere survival, are unaware of the legal complexities, political manoeuv-rings and constitutional technicalities. They only want the resolution of their problems. People do not have any inkling about these developments, horse-trading or the fine rhetoric that was being used for and against the amendments.

They are only concerned about the many problems that have made their lives miserable. What people demand is a solution to the pressing issues they face, such as skyrocketing inflation, inflated utility bills, unemployment, and, above all, peace and security in their surrou-ndings. They are weary of road blocks, processions, rallies and gatherings, and frequent closure of businesses.

Parliament is all about people. For any complex legal issues involving public welfare, our parliament, particularly the lower house, must take care of all the citizens, prioritising the needs of all sections of society.

The elected representatives whose parties’ finely crafted manifestos speak of the pain and suffering of the masses and their welfare must rise to address the grievances of those very masses, shunning ego, political grandstanding and street power. It is imperative that parliament focuses on resolving the issues that are afflicting the lives of the people.

Qamer Soomro
Shikarpur

Published in Dawn, November 4th, 2024