February 8th presents a pivotal opportunity, but the window for seizing it is rapidly closing. Will Pakistani politicians finally shed their self-serving agendas and heed the pleas of a nation on the brink? Or will they continue to indulge in their power games, dragging Pakistan further into the abyss? The answer, it seems, lies not in the courts or the ballot boxes, but in the hearts and minds of those who claim to lead this nation.

As Pakistan stumbles towards its historic February 8th election, the air is thick with a suffocating blend of disillusionment and desperation. The Sturm und alleyway that plagued 2022 and 2023 seems to have found an eerie echo in the present, leaving the Pakistani people yearning for a semblance of calm and stability. Yet, this yearning appears tragically misplaced amidst the political theatre of the absurd currently unfolding.

Despite the fact that critics decry the machinations of puzzling dynamism the truth is far more unsettling. Pakistani democracy’s demise cannot be solely attributed to shadowy puppeteers pulling strings; it is a tragedy deeply rooted in the willful negligence of its supposed custodians the politicians themselves. Politicians, across the spectrum, have indulged in a perilous game of power, abandoning the very ground rules that underpinned this nation’s fragile democracy. Their obsession with “cut-throat competition” has disincentivized dialogue, rendering political solutions to political problems a laughable fantasy. Instead, they seek shortcuts to power, bypassing the tedious chore of consensus-building and embracing a doctrine of mutually assured destruction. This egotistic disregard for the nation’s well-being manifests in the PTI’s recent electoral symbol debacle. The ECP’s decision, while technically sound, reeks of opportunism. Stripping away a party’s symbol, especially weeks before the election, smacks more of political vendetta than impartial adjudication. The potential disenfranchisement of countless voters becomes collateral damage in this petty squabble for dominance.

Though, the blame cannot be solely pinned on the ECP. The PTI’s intransigence in holding “illegal” intra-party elections fueled this entire mess. Their refusal to play by the rules, their willingness to circumvent regulations for personal gain, is hardly a shining example of democratic leadership. Eventually, the Pakistani people find themselves trapped in crossfire of self-serving agendas. Politicians, on both sides, seem more enthralled by their own power struggles than by the urgent need to address the nation’s myriad crises. While they bicker and maneuver, the economy plummets, security concerns escalate, and the social fabric threatens to unravel.

Amidst this bleak picture, a glimmer of hope flickers. There is a growing recognition, even amongst “reasonable politicians,” that the current impasse is untenable. A deeply controversial election will benefit no one, not even the party that emerges victorious. Pakistan cannot afford another five years of fractured governance and partisan squabbles. It is time for a hard reset. Forging a new political understanding, setting ground rules for the upcoming election, and putting an immediate end to political victimization are not lofty ideals but bare necessities. The doctrine of mutually assured destruction has no place in this fragile democracy. Politicians must learn to coexist, to compete and collaborate, for the sake of the nation they claim to serve.

***