The Supreme Court of Pakistan has written a new chapter of history by disqualifying Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif under Article 62(1)(f) of the Constitution.The court believed the prime minister had failed to defend himself in corruption charges and held him disqualified for life. With the disqualification, a phase of political turmoil has ended, but the decision has raised many questions for the nation. The Nawaz government had started mega development projects and their fate is now hanging in balance. The economy is already showing signs of recession and international financial institutions have warned that the country could face lower rate of development in the coming years. A debate has already started in legal fraternity about the merits of the Supreme Court decision. Earlier around five years ago, the Supreme Court had disqualified prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on contempt of court charges, but his ouster did not inflict any harm to the political atmosphere. However, the current situation is different as the term of this assembly is near closure and absence of a strong leadership will plunge the economy into further chaos.
It is good omen that only the prime minister is disqualified and the current political system is very much intact. The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz is still a ruling party and it should ensure the continuation of the economic policies. It will be in the best interest of the nation if Nawaz gets himself fully involved in the nation building activities. He can implement his vision by advising his team about the business oriented programmes. The other political parties should also consider the national interest supreme and avoid creating disturbance in the public order. The first priority of every individual, who matters, should be to maintain unity in the country. Unfortunately, the western and eastern borders of the country are volatile as India has adopted aggressive posture along the line of control. Afghanistan is also toeing the line of India and is making troubles for Pakistan. The victim of the whole political situation is the economy as whenever there are signs of recovery it plunges into further chaos.
The court decision has stirred the political environment, but this is a transitory period and let it pass without causing any harm to the nation. If the PML-N plans to participate in the general elections next year, it should nominate a capable prime minister to fix the problems facing the economy. The decision of disqualification has enhanced the trust of the people in the judiciary and it is hoped the political vacuum will soon be filled by an able leadership.
