From the past few months after continuous governance issues and other crises a phrase is echoing from the power corridors that “There is No Option Except Khan”, close coalition partners and ruling party lawmakers are repeatedly saying this with pride. Media reports say PM Khan himself claimed there is no choice other than us on June 28th, 2020 at dinner in the Prime Minister house, he also says we are going nowhere, the government will definitely complete its tenure…
Media personals and analysts also say such things from a couple of years, few are saying this thought would not prolong further, the government should have to focus on governance and have to deliver. If we look into the history of Pakistan there are a lot of occasions when People thought they were inevitable for the state and the state abandoned them.
Alternatives are always available; they may not match the stature of the personality but can hold the position. If we just glance at the last twenty years of political history there were a lot of strong personalities who thought the same and their substitutes were always there, unrevealed.
No one could assure the name of Primer in 2002’s GE, till GNA & PMLQ nominated Zafarullah Jamali for it and he formed a multiparty coalition government after being elected as PM. From his first speech as PM a statement is very relevant to our subject “Chair (of power) has not been faithful to anybody”. After the Resignation of Jamali in 2004, when Shaukat Aziz was nominee for PMO he wasn’t a member of the national assembly (constitutional binding for PM), he contested from two NA seats to run for PMship.
No one was alternative of Benazir in People’s party and term limit hurdle was also existing in 2008 GE (latterly removed in 18th Amendment, 2010) but after her assassination in 2007, Gillani then Raja Pervaiz hold PM office. At that time, it was a speculation that Gillani’s nomination is not for a complete term, Zardari will contest by election and take that but he ran for President after Musharaf resigned in Aug, 2008.
There was no alternative of Sharif in PMLN but Abbasi held the premiership after his dismissal in 2017. There were a number of options considered for the office and another Sharif was elected as party president. Could anyone ever have imagined MQM without Altaf Hussain till August 2016? Could anyone have thought Musharaf could be convicted in the High Treason case?
“No options are available” this attitude isn’t legit to govern the state, Khan should have to come out of such hallucination. Because there are many aspirants of PMship in assembly within PTI and other parties as well, few have hand on experience of this chair, a former PM is also a member of the current cabinet. If options are not available in Parliament, “They” can spot it outside like Aziz.
- The Longest Semester - 10/10/2020
- A Time Not to Travel - 11/09/2020
- Mr Khan, Options are Always Available - 02/07/2020
