IT is the people’s house and home to the elected representatives from where the people’s business is meant to be conducted. But two backbenchers of the PML-N and the PTI contrived to turn the premises of parliament into a gaudy circus, with attempted physical violence and misogynistic comments thrown into the mix. Belatedly, senior party leaders on both sides tried to clean up the shambolic mess created by their junior colleagues, though not without the usual equivocations and attacks on the politics and alleged uncouthness of the other side. At least two points need to be reiterated. First, sexist behaviour by parliamentarians against fellow parliamentarians and families of male colleagues needs to pushed back against urgently and emphatically. Most parties have examples in their ranks of legislators and political leaders who have indulged in unacceptable behaviour against women, though some appear to have a worse record than others. Whatever the case, an overall gender sensitisation and public decorum course appears to be in order for all parliamentarians and all assemblies. Whether it is new rules or new sanctions that are eventually introduced, the norms of parliament and provincial assemblies need to be re-established. Parliament and the assemblies are also the workplaces of women — the environment for all persons must be respectful at all times.

Second, the PTI and PML-N need to develop a code of conduct for their party members. The truth is that, regardless of which side starts the quarrel, both are guilty of attacking each other in unrestrained ways that undermine democracy. To be sure, a strong democracy needs robust competition and a fierce contest of ideas that give the public a genuine choice of policies. The PML-N and PTI are also legitimate political contenders for power with wide public support. But there is a sense that the two parties are locked in a downward spiral that threatens to drag the country into the politics of the 1990s, when internecine and unending political warfare led to a revolving door of power and ultimately the overthrow of the democratic system itself. While the imminent Supreme Court judgement in the Panama Papers matter may have heightened the rivalry between the PML-N and PTI at the moment, it is also apparent the political landscape will time and again produce new issues to contest. A collapse into disorder must be averted at all costs by the senior leadership of the two parties.

Published in Dawn, March 11th, 2017