The Judicial Commission (JC) tasked with probing allegations of rigging in the 2013 elections has concluded that the polls in question were indeed “organised and conducted fairly in and accordance with the law”.
While it conceded that there were irregularities and that the request for a probe was not entirely unjustified, the commission did not find any evidence to suggest that the mandate of the public was stolen.
Depending on where you stand politically, reactions to the verdict could range from overbearing bluster to sheepish dejection.
The ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has wasted no time in pointing out that it stands vindicated, while the opposition parties and their leaders, with the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chief among them, will try to veil their disappointment in whatever objections can be hastily put together.
In the coming days, many rhetoric machines will be firing on all four cylinders, but no matter who says what, one thing is clear: the verdict has completely destroyed PTI’s aspirations and public image.
Read: PTI in the shadow of the Judicial Commission’s report
After the PTI failed to score a landslide victory in the 2013 polls, it somehow got into its leadership's head that it was robbed of its rightful mandate. No amount of explaining would allay the PTI’s reservations, and when words were not enough, a protest movement was launched to dislodge the current political setup.
The movement, too, did not yield a favourable result, but Imran Khan just would not let go of the issue. His party was adamant that they had documentary evidence to support his allegations. The PTI was also insistent that the evidence would only be presented to a judicial commission, since it could trust no other state institution with such sensitive information.
But now, as the realisation from the verdict sets in, it will become painfully apparent to PTI's supporters, young and old, that there wasn't any truth to most of the allegations thrown around at the sit-in.
Javed Hashmi is right in that the verdict has cast dark clouds over Imran Khan's political future, but in some ways, this verdict might just be the best thing that has happened to PTI since 2013.
Confused? Allow me.
A clean chit for PML-N, a clean break for PTI
PTI should realise that while the JC verdict is devastating for the party, it also provides the ideal opportunity to make a clean break from the past and start anew. It is 2015. There is still some time to go before the next general elections. There is so much more that can be done by the party, and all of that is achievable while it works its way through the (rotten) system.
Take a look: Election inquiry report
On a national level though, PTI will need to claim a spot as a national outfit. The PML-N might be the strongest contender in Punjab, but it does not have a robust enough presence in the other provinces.
Add to the mix a dithering and hapless PPP, which is playing without a full deck right now, and one can see how the PTI can use the circumstances to its advantage, re-invent itself as a representative of a broader Pakistani populace. Already, a growing number of defections are swelling the PTI ranks, and if the trend continues, PTI will stand to gain much political capital.
In a larger context, the PTI can start to really play the role of an effective opposition that it so far has shied away from. Being anti-PMLN and anti-Nawaz is losing its appeal now. Instead, keeping the ruling regime on its toes on accountability and transparency is what is required from the PTI right now.
Imagine an opposition party that leaves its ego at the door when it enters the gates of Parliament, all in the name of genuine reform. Just imagine if you would, a PTI that is willing to get its hands dirty at the grassroots level as it presses for justice for the beleaguered common man.
See: Sharif terms it a new beginning
And while they’re at it, the issue of electoral reform can now be raised on the proper platforms, so that the next electoral exercises are completely devoid of the limitations affecting previous ones. After the sit-in last year, some hue and cry was raised in the political circles about inducing genuine electoral reform, but because of a lack of sustained focus on the issue, it was sidelined. (Does anyone even remember the 33-member electoral reform committee formed in the wake of the sit-in last year?)
Closer to home, there is still a lot of work that needs to be done in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
Police and education reforms are a good first step in the right direction, but unless rational decisions taken in public interest start to make a difference in the lives of ordinary people in KP, PTI’s work is not complete. Starting with improvements in service delivery, the PTI government in KP can and should work its way up to systemic reform in the province.
In addition, the intense bickering, infighting, and factionalism which are ruining the PTI’s public image will have to be stopped. The party became the talk of the town when it championed inclusion and accountability among its ranks and even held internal elections earlier on, but since then, the democratic veneer has given way to reveal a much more restricted entity. Steps will have to be taken to ensure a sense of internal unity now.
Read on: Imran needs time to be mature: PPP
The Pakistani political landscape might be a curious blend, but one basic reality that remains unchanged is that the electorate responds to political parties which promise care and devotion. Many places throughout the country are in need of desperate reform right now, and it would be apt for a political party desirous of coming to power at the centre to start small and build from there.
On a recent trip to the capital, I realised that the road to Islamabad is a long-winded one, running through many amazing places that deserve proper attention. If the PTI is to live to see another day after this verdict, then it will have to come to a similar understanding.