SINCE the declaration of the results of the general elections in Pakistan, a state of confusion prevails in the neighbouring Islamic country. Though the political parties are eager to form Government, split verdict and military-favoured party not being in the position of a clear winner have thrown the political situation in Pakistan in a disarray. In the 265-member National Assembly, former Prime Minister Mr. Imran Khan’s PTI-backed independents constitute the largest winning block with 101 seats. It is followed by military-favoured PML-N of former three-time Prime Minister Mr. Nawaz Sharif winning 75 seats, and technically being the single largest party. Then comes Mr. Bilawal Bhutto’s PPP with 57 seats to its kitty, and MQM winning 17 seats. Despite the military establishment trying every trick in its arsenal to get Mr. Imran Khan and his party out of the electoral mainstream, it could not achieve the results as is visible from PTI-backed independents’ victory. Obviously, this assertion of Pakistani voters in favour of democratic values comes as a jolt to control-freak Pakistani military.

 

But, this poses a big problem from political stability point of view. The petitions before the courts alleging rigging in the elections and challenging victory of PML-N have added to the prevailing chaos. If the Pakistani military tries to install Mr. Sharif as the Prime Minister, the situation may turn more volatile as popular anger and disappointment against the military-mullah nexus may boil over. Keeping this point in consideration, now the PML-N and PPP have started talks and are peddling the narrative of ‘participatory coalition government’. However, the basic rider is that Mr. Imran Khan’s party PTI should not be a part of such a coalition. Whatever might be the power-sharing formula, but such a dispensation keeping out such a large number of independent winning candidates backed by PTI may not bring stability. Besides, it would also send across the message to the Pakistani people that their choices are limited. This realisation may further snowball into wider consciousness in favour of democracy. In that case, given the internal turmoil in Pakistan in Balochistan and Sindh and Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pak-occupied Kashmir, the troubles may only increase for the military State.

 

This situation has arisen due to Pakistani military’s insistence on riding the tiger of radicalisation, from the back of which it now cannot dismount. Else, that tiger might pounce on it. Economic woes add another dimension to the Pakistan story. Poor economy means lack of access to good education, healthcare, livelihood opportunities, and standard of living for the populace. Caught between this lack of access and evils of radicalisation, people of Pakistani expressed themselves through the electoral process. However, if that expression gets deliberately ignored by the military and its favoured political faces, it may have consequences for Pakistan. Those consequences may not be good for the Islamic nation. To avoid such a deeper crisis, those trying to run the country from behind the curtains need to do more than just peddling the narrative of participatory coalition government with an exclusionary rider. For, the election results have offered an opportunity for course correction to Pakistani power structure. Instead of making a good use of it, if it tried to subvert the popular expression, the nation’s downslide on to the path of self-destruction may get accelerated. India and other powerful countries of the world have rightly adopted a wait and watch approach. But, a lot will depend on whether Pakistani power structure resolves the imbroglio in a matured manner.