After the vote: Editorial in Dawn, March 7th, 2021
PRIME MINISTER Imran Khan may have received the vote of confidence but it does not resolve the major issues that the ruling PTI faces. By obtaining 178 votes on Saturday in the National Assembly, six more than the simple majority required, the prime minister has settled the issue of his parliamentary numbers. Perhaps he considered this to be the best way to deal with the shock defeat of his finance minister, Hafeez Sheikh, in the Senate polls. However, this vote of confidence may pale in front of the mounting difficulties staring his government in the face.
One of the most serious problems is his newfound sparring with the ECP. In his speech after obtaining the vote, the prime minister once again criticised the ECP and suggested, rather bizarrely, that the electoral body should get a secret briefing from the ‘agencies’ to understand how much money had been used in the Senate elections. By repeatedly accusing the ECP of not doing its job, Mr Khan is creating unnecessary tension with a constitutional body that has done well to take firm action against the electoral manipulation that was witnessed in the Daska by-election.
In the Senate elections too, the ECP has followed the orders of the Supreme Court and organised the elections through a secret ballot that is mandated by the Constitution. The government would be well advised to avoid a confrontation with the ECP as part of its political narrative-building.
What it should focus on instead is to bring about a comprehensive set of electoral reforms by forging a consensus among all parties in parliament. This is easier said than done but it is the only way to ensure an election that is acceptable to all. The prime minister has announced that the government would bring in electronic voting machines but this would be a hollow move if it is not part of a larger reform package that is supported by all stakeholders. The PTI government needs to review its go-it-alone policy.
This may have become even more difficult after the unpleasant incident on Saturday when PTI workers assaulted senior members of the PML-N team, including former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and party spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb. The incident has raised political temperatures, as well as the level of polarisation, and will make it even more improbable that the government and the opposition can forge any semblance of a working relationship.
The situation is grim. The government may need to initiate some confidence-building measures if it wants a smoother functioning of its mandate for the remaining two and half years of its term. All indications are that this may be difficult for the government to do. The system is overheating and can trigger a crisis on the smallest of pretexts. Sanity must prevail before it is too late.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1611156/after-the-vote
Confidence Motion: edit in The Nation, March 7th, 2021
Prime Minister Imran Khan’s vote of confidence victory in the National Assembly was by no means surprising, but will inject confidence within the rank and file of the ruling party. The PM’s bold decision to call this vote gave pause to many, but the opposition’s refusal to participate in all likelihood stemmed from the understanding that their numbers would be too short to make a difference.
It was expected that PM Khan would win this comfortably, as was the case on Saturday. This became all the more apparent once key allies such as PML-Q and GDA threw their weight behind the government.
For the government, the next key contest is in the Senate, when the new Chairman will be elected. With the numerical superiority of the opposition in the upper house, the ruling party’s hopes of controlling both houses remains dim, but even the Chairman re-election might prove to be a difficult prospect.
Whatever the outcome, the political landscape is only getting more volatile for the day. The boycott, perhaps made the proceedings within the assembly much smoother. However, in contrast, the unfortunate scenes on display outside the parliament lodges are utterly condemnable. Opposition leaders were attacked by individuals supporting ruling party flags. This again, should not come as a shock to anyone who is attuned to the polarisation in the country.
Something like this should not be taking place if tolerance for different views and perspectives was to be respected. Those that attacked opposition politicians must be arrested. Questions must also be asked on how they gained access to a restricted area. The government must condemn this incident. There is absolutely no justification to take the law into one’s own hands.
In the days to come, there are many more contests that will bring the government and opposition face to face. It is vital that more blows are not exchanged. Democratic values have to be upheld at all costs.
https://nation.com.pk/07-Mar-2021/confidence-motion
Confident PM: edit in The News, March 7th, 2021
By attaining 178 votes in the National Assembly, Prime Minister Imran Khan has won the vote of confidence he had voluntarily sought, after a surprise defeat in the Senate election for PTI candidate Hafeez Sheikh who lost to the PDM’s Yousuf Raza Gilani with a number of votes cast either against the party line or apparently spoilt so that they would not be counted. Saturday’s vote of confidence will come as a source of relief to the prime minister. But from now on he must live with the knowledge that there is a group or at least a set of individuals within his party who would be willing to go against the line and vote against him in any secret ballot that may be held from now on; the prime minister should also have paid close attention to the representatives of allied parties that spoke after the vote because their message was rather clear.
So while for now the prime minister can continue his tenure, he must also think about what is happening behind the scenes within party ranks. As he spoke inside the National Assembly, and before the vote began, PML-N leaders attempted a press conference outside parliament, but were disrupted by a group of PTI supporters who had managed to create a bit of a mob within the red zone. In the ugly incident which followed, Marriyam Aurangzeb was kicked by a PTI member, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Musaddiq Malik ended up in a scuffle with the ‘protesters’ and Ahsan Iqbal got hit with a shoe as he attempted to speak. Unfortunately, these scenes were not surprising for those who have been on the receiving end of over-zealous PTI supporters. In the absence of any condemnation by PTI leaders of such shameful behavior, it seems the ruling party is in no mood to change its manner of operating. We would strongly urge the ruling party as well as all other political parties to remember that such behaviour tarnishes the image of political parties and leaves a bad impression in people’s minds about the maturity of democratic practice in the country. And it is inevitable that such behavior always comes back to haunt whichever party indulges in it.
Next up on the agenda is the election for the Senate chairman. PM Imran Khan has already nominated Sadiq Sanjrani, the sitting chairman, for the post – even though the opposition now holds a small majority in the Senate and may name Yousuf Raza Gilani. This would lead to another close contest. In all this, it is important for the PM to realise that more than half of the government’s five-year tenure is gone and we see little on the ground that can testify to the government’s seriousness to fulfil its promises. In these past 32 months, the government has been more focused on the opposition, on curbing dissent, and on imagined or otherwise NROs – all the while the people have been undergoing a crippling financial crisis. It is about time the government got rid of its obsession with past governments and their purported wrongdoings. The foremost among the government priorities should be an economic turnaround so that the people can heave a sigh of relief. We need a performing government now because the primary message from Saturday was the scale of the divide and the toxicity that has entered Pakistan’s politics with no sense of agreement at any point, and an extremely ugly atmosphere in which politics and governance are to miraculously function.
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/800126-confident-pm
Out of the frying pan: edit in Daily Times, Mar 7, 2021
Finally, a deep breeze of relief for the ruling PTI! Days after a shock defeat on a key seat in the country’s Senate elections, Prime Minister Imran Khan handily secured a vote of confidence from the National Assembly on Saturday. A much-needed gain, indeed!
Winning 178 votes–six more than needed–, Khan has once again diplomatically established his credentials for prime ministership. He had received 176 votes three years ago.
However, the ruling party is delusional if it is painting the town red over this bravado show. PM and PTI are in for a very bumpy ride in the coming days. While Imran Khan has consolidated his position in front of the opposition’s designs, he better gear up to prove his strength in legislative affairs. Gone are days when waging calls for accountability and taking a jibe at previous administrations for all ills could fill the bill. Now is the government’s turn to honour the lofty promises made during the 2018 campaign. The much-trumpeted pledge of five million houses and 10 million jobs remains a hot-button issue. To date, Pakistan has not been very good at creating policies that can result in work and (good) jobs. The fragile economy and its myriad of problems are a big question mark on Khan’s assurances that good times are ahead. The recent petrol hike, the dramatically surging food prices, collapsing healthcare system (thanks to pandemic) and power outages are all proverbial genies that need to be put back in the bottle.
Yet, before getting worthwhile bills passed, our prime minister has another hard nut to crack–this time, in his tight circle. Until PM Khan does not overhaul his team bottom-up, the fact that people in his party defected and voted for his rivals would return to haunt him. The upcoming race for Senate Chairman is an excellent opportunity to straighten out party ranks.
Utter–some may say, criminal–neglect of Pakistan’s heartland, Punjab, has led to dissent, both within party members and PTI’s vote-bank. Despite enjoying relentless support from Islamabad, the blue-eyed CM is busy firefighting incompetence allegations and rumours of early departure. The cynicism about Buzdar’s inability to match up to his hyperactive predecessor only appears to have gained more weight with time. After all, weak governance in Punjab only creates an opportunity for the opposition to attack the government. The treasury benches need to seriously consider the merit of standing by their “Wasim Akram.” If CM Buzdar goes down in the upcoming vote of no confidence, he would ignite a major defeat for his boss (popularity-wise and politically).
Apart from Punjab’s chosen one, the government needs to reassess which members are securing its future mandate and which ones are mere baggage. The scandalous 2018 horse-trading video is being said to potentially implicate bigwigs like Speaker Asad Qaiser and Defence Minister Pervaiz Khattak. Special Assistant (Petroleum) remains mired in controversy over his shares in an independent power producer. Who can forget Shehryar Afridi’s raids of Rawalpindi police stations that sounded straight out of a Lollywood flick? Even after stepping down as special assistant (hint, hint, Papa John’s scandal), General Asim Bajwa has not relinquished his charge as CPEC Chairman. And this was just the tip of the iceberg.
It is crucial for PM Khan to let go of people whose credibility has been tainted in any form whatsoever. Enjoying command over honest and competent team members holds the magic formula to his success in 2023. With no one able to shoulder integral party responsibilities, the absence of Jahangir Tareen could not be missed more. Whether JKT makes a comeback or PTI gets another JKT, Khan needs someone well-versed in political management, especially in Punjab. That too, no later than today!
https://dailytimes.com.pk/731493/out-of-the-frying-pan/
Second innings: edit in The Express Tribune, March 7th, 2021.
The National Assembly has reposed trust in Prime Minister Imran Khan, giving him a new lease of life at the helm. As many as 178 lawmakers voted in favour of a resolution tabled in the lower house yesterday, seeking a vote of confidence for the PM. The votes Imran secured are six more than the simple majority of the House and two more than the tally he clinched when becoming the PM on August 17, 2018. The huge sigh of relief the victory afforded the PM was evident in his tone when he spoke to the House — in the absence of Opposition members who had boycotted the assembly session — in the wake of the trust vote proceedings.
The PM was at his scathing best, inflicting a fully-loaded broadside on the opposition and reiterating his ‘resolve’ to keep fighting the ‘looters of the public money’ till his last breath. His speech carried a specific mention of Asif Zardari and Nawaz Sharif laced with words of scorn. This, however, portends that the much-needed political calm — which is vital for the government itself in order to concentrate on issues of core concern like the economy, governance, internal security, etc — will continue to elude the country. The PM’s allies also spoke on the occasion — assuring their cooperation alongside mentioning their grievances.
So, has the PM come out stronger and more confident from the vote? Frankly speaking, Imran Khan’s government rests on the support of 178 MNAs which also include those 16 dissenters who had voted for Yousaf Raza Gillani in the March 3 Senate vote and who the PM has had to embrace “with open arms”. Much will, however, depend upon the government’s own performance — particularly on the economic side. Don’t forget it was the ruling party’s poor performance that paved the way for no less than 11 opposition parties to get united into PDM.
Gilani’s victory is no small dent to the government. It requires the PM to play out of his skin, as we say in cricket parlance, to undo the impact of that dent. His government will have to provide instant relief to the masses by bringing down the prices of daily use items and cutting down the utilities charges. He will also have to ensure accountability for all and focus on genuine electoral reforms so as to get the opinion-makers speak for him. The PM’s second innings starts now. https://tribune.com.pk/story/2287897/second-innings
Imran wins trust vote: Five Edits
After the vote: Editorial in Dawn, March 7th, 2021
PRIME MINISTER Imran Khan may have received the vote of confidence but it does not resolve the major issues that the ruling PTI faces. By obtaining 178 votes on Saturday in the National Assembly, six more than the simple majority required, the prime minister has settled the issue of his parliamentary numbers. Perhaps he considered this to be the best way to deal with the shock defeat of his finance minister, Hafeez Sheikh, in the Senate polls. However, this vote of confidence may pale in front of the mounting difficulties staring his government in the face.
One of the most serious problems is his newfound sparring with the ECP. In his speech after obtaining the vote, the prime minister once again criticised the ECP and suggested, rather bizarrely, that the electoral body should get a secret briefing from the ‘agencies’ to understand how much money had been used in the Senate elections. By repeatedly accusing the ECP of not doing its job, Mr Khan is creating unnecessary tension with a constitutional body that has done well to take firm action against the electoral manipulation that was witnessed in the Daska by-election.
In the Senate elections too, the ECP has followed the orders of the Supreme Court and organised the elections through a secret ballot that is mandated by the Constitution. The government would be well advised to avoid a confrontation with the ECP as part of its political narrative-building.
What it should focus on instead is to bring about a comprehensive set of electoral reforms by forging a consensus among all parties in parliament. This is easier said than done but it is the only way to ensure an election that is acceptable to all. The prime minister has announced that the government would bring in electronic voting machines but this would be a hollow move if it is not part of a larger reform package that is supported by all stakeholders. The PTI government needs to review its go-it-alone policy.
This may have become even more difficult after the unpleasant incident on Saturday when PTI workers assaulted senior members of the PML-N team, including former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and party spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb. The incident has raised political temperatures, as well as the level of polarisation, and will make it even more improbable that the government and the opposition can forge any semblance of a working relationship.
The situation is grim. The government may need to initiate some confidence-building measures if it wants a smoother functioning of its mandate for the remaining two and half years of its term. All indications are that this may be difficult for the government to do. The system is overheating and can trigger a crisis on the smallest of pretexts. Sanity must prevail before it is too late.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1611156/after-the-vote
Confidence Motion: edit in The Nation, March 7th, 2021
Prime Minister Imran Khan’s vote of confidence victory in the National Assembly was by no means surprising, but will inject confidence within the rank and file of the ruling party. The PM’s bold decision to call this vote gave pause to many, but the opposition’s refusal to participate in all likelihood stemmed from the understanding that their numbers would be too short to make a difference.
It was expected that PM Khan would win this comfortably, as was the case on Saturday. This became all the more apparent once key allies such as PML-Q and GDA threw their weight behind the government.
For the government, the next key contest is in the Senate, when the new Chairman will be elected. With the numerical superiority of the opposition in the upper house, the ruling party’s hopes of controlling both houses remains dim, but even the Chairman re-election might prove to be a difficult prospect.
Whatever the outcome, the political landscape is only getting more volatile for the day. The boycott, perhaps made the proceedings within the assembly much smoother. However, in contrast, the unfortunate scenes on display outside the parliament lodges are utterly condemnable. Opposition leaders were attacked by individuals supporting ruling party flags. This again, should not come as a shock to anyone who is attuned to the polarisation in the country.
Something like this should not be taking place if tolerance for different views and perspectives was to be respected. Those that attacked opposition politicians must be arrested. Questions must also be asked on how they gained access to a restricted area. The government must condemn this incident. There is absolutely no justification to take the law into one’s own hands.
In the days to come, there are many more contests that will bring the government and opposition face to face. It is vital that more blows are not exchanged. Democratic values have to be upheld at all costs.
https://nation.com.pk/07-Mar-2021/confidence-motion
Confident PM: edit in The News, March 7th, 2021
By attaining 178 votes in the National Assembly, Prime Minister Imran Khan has won the vote of confidence he had voluntarily sought, after a surprise defeat in the Senate election for PTI candidate Hafeez Sheikh who lost to the PDM’s Yousuf Raza Gilani with a number of votes cast either against the party line or apparently spoilt so that they would not be counted. Saturday’s vote of confidence will come as a source of relief to the prime minister. But from now on he must live with the knowledge that there is a group or at least a set of individuals within his party who would be willing to go against the line and vote against him in any secret ballot that may be held from now on; the prime minister should also have paid close attention to the representatives of allied parties that spoke after the vote because their message was rather clear.
So while for now the prime minister can continue his tenure, he must also think about what is happening behind the scenes within party ranks. As he spoke inside the National Assembly, and before the vote began, PML-N leaders attempted a press conference outside parliament, but were disrupted by a group of PTI supporters who had managed to create a bit of a mob within the red zone. In the ugly incident which followed, Marriyam Aurangzeb was kicked by a PTI member, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Musaddiq Malik ended up in a scuffle with the ‘protesters’ and Ahsan Iqbal got hit with a shoe as he attempted to speak. Unfortunately, these scenes were not surprising for those who have been on the receiving end of over-zealous PTI supporters. In the absence of any condemnation by PTI leaders of such shameful behavior, it seems the ruling party is in no mood to change its manner of operating. We would strongly urge the ruling party as well as all other political parties to remember that such behaviour tarnishes the image of political parties and leaves a bad impression in people’s minds about the maturity of democratic practice in the country. And it is inevitable that such behavior always comes back to haunt whichever party indulges in it.
Next up on the agenda is the election for the Senate chairman. PM Imran Khan has already nominated Sadiq Sanjrani, the sitting chairman, for the post – even though the opposition now holds a small majority in the Senate and may name Yousuf Raza Gilani. This would lead to another close contest. In all this, it is important for the PM to realise that more than half of the government’s five-year tenure is gone and we see little on the ground that can testify to the government’s seriousness to fulfil its promises. In these past 32 months, the government has been more focused on the opposition, on curbing dissent, and on imagined or otherwise NROs – all the while the people have been undergoing a crippling financial crisis. It is about time the government got rid of its obsession with past governments and their purported wrongdoings. The foremost among the government priorities should be an economic turnaround so that the people can heave a sigh of relief. We need a performing government now because the primary message from Saturday was the scale of the divide and the toxicity that has entered Pakistan’s politics with no sense of agreement at any point, and an extremely ugly atmosphere in which politics and governance are to miraculously function.
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/800126-confident-pm
Out of the frying pan: edit in Daily Times, Mar 7, 2021
Finally, a deep breeze of relief for the ruling PTI! Days after a shock defeat on a key seat in the country’s Senate elections, Prime Minister Imran Khan handily secured a vote of confidence from the National Assembly on Saturday. A much-needed gain, indeed!
Winning 178 votes–six more than needed–, Khan has once again diplomatically established his credentials for prime ministership. He had received 176 votes three years ago.
However, the ruling party is delusional if it is painting the town red over this bravado show. PM and PTI are in for a very bumpy ride in the coming days. While Imran Khan has consolidated his position in front of the opposition’s designs, he better gear up to prove his strength in legislative affairs. Gone are days when waging calls for accountability and taking a jibe at previous administrations for all ills could fill the bill. Now is the government’s turn to honour the lofty promises made during the 2018 campaign. The much-trumpeted pledge of five million houses and 10 million jobs remains a hot-button issue. To date, Pakistan has not been very good at creating policies that can result in work and (good) jobs. The fragile economy and its myriad of problems are a big question mark on Khan’s assurances that good times are ahead. The recent petrol hike, the dramatically surging food prices, collapsing healthcare system (thanks to pandemic) and power outages are all proverbial genies that need to be put back in the bottle.
Yet, before getting worthwhile bills passed, our prime minister has another hard nut to crack–this time, in his tight circle. Until PM Khan does not overhaul his team bottom-up, the fact that people in his party defected and voted for his rivals would return to haunt him. The upcoming race for Senate Chairman is an excellent opportunity to straighten out party ranks.
Utter–some may say, criminal–neglect of Pakistan’s heartland, Punjab, has led to dissent, both within party members and PTI’s vote-bank. Despite enjoying relentless support from Islamabad, the blue-eyed CM is busy firefighting incompetence allegations and rumours of early departure. The cynicism about Buzdar’s inability to match up to his hyperactive predecessor only appears to have gained more weight with time. After all, weak governance in Punjab only creates an opportunity for the opposition to attack the government. The treasury benches need to seriously consider the merit of standing by their “Wasim Akram.” If CM Buzdar goes down in the upcoming vote of no confidence, he would ignite a major defeat for his boss (popularity-wise and politically).
Apart from Punjab’s chosen one, the government needs to reassess which members are securing its future mandate and which ones are mere baggage. The scandalous 2018 horse-trading video is being said to potentially implicate bigwigs like Speaker Asad Qaiser and Defence Minister Pervaiz Khattak. Special Assistant (Petroleum) remains mired in controversy over his shares in an independent power producer. Who can forget Shehryar Afridi’s raids of Rawalpindi police stations that sounded straight out of a Lollywood flick? Even after stepping down as special assistant (hint, hint, Papa John’s scandal), General Asim Bajwa has not relinquished his charge as CPEC Chairman. And this was just the tip of the iceberg.
It is crucial for PM Khan to let go of people whose credibility has been tainted in any form whatsoever. Enjoying command over honest and competent team members holds the magic formula to his success in 2023. With no one able to shoulder integral party responsibilities, the absence of Jahangir Tareen could not be missed more. Whether JKT makes a comeback or PTI gets another JKT, Khan needs someone well-versed in political management, especially in Punjab. That too, no later than today!
https://dailytimes.com.pk/731493/out-of-the-frying-pan/
Second innings: edit in The Express Tribune, March 7th, 2021.
The National Assembly has reposed trust in Prime Minister Imran Khan, giving him a new lease of life at the helm. As many as 178 lawmakers voted in favour of a resolution tabled in the lower house yesterday, seeking a vote of confidence for the PM. The votes Imran secured are six more than the simple majority of the House and two more than the tally he clinched when becoming the PM on August 17, 2018. The huge sigh of relief the victory afforded the PM was evident in his tone when he spoke to the House — in the absence of Opposition members who had boycotted the assembly session — in the wake of the trust vote proceedings.
The PM was at his scathing best, inflicting a fully-loaded broadside on the opposition and reiterating his ‘resolve’ to keep fighting the ‘looters of the public money’ till his last breath. His speech carried a specific mention of Asif Zardari and Nawaz Sharif laced with words of scorn. This, however, portends that the much-needed political calm — which is vital for the government itself in order to concentrate on issues of core concern like the economy, governance, internal security, etc — will continue to elude the country. The PM’s allies also spoke on the occasion — assuring their cooperation alongside mentioning their grievances.
So, has the PM come out stronger and more confident from the vote? Frankly speaking, Imran Khan’s government rests on the support of 178 MNAs which also include those 16 dissenters who had voted for Yousaf Raza Gillani in the March 3 Senate vote and who the PM has had to embrace “with open arms”. Much will, however, depend upon the government’s own performance — particularly on the economic side. Don’t forget it was the ruling party’s poor performance that paved the way for no less than 11 opposition parties to get united into PDM.
Gilani’s victory is no small dent to the government. It requires the PM to play out of his skin, as we say in cricket parlance, to undo the impact of that dent. His government will have to provide instant relief to the masses by bringing down the prices of daily use items and cutting down the utilities charges. He will also have to ensure accountability for all and focus on genuine electoral reforms so as to get the opinion-makers speak for him. The PM’s second innings starts now. https://tribune.com.pk/story/2287897/second-innings
Published in Pak Media comment and Pakistan