The Return To 'Purana Pakistan'

Pakistan has now a new government. But, will Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif be able to meet the challenges that the country faces? D Suba Chandran is not so sure in his answers

- D Suba Chandran

On April 10, after the then opposition led by the PML-N, PPP, and a few other regional parties successfully passed a vote of a no-confidence motion, PPP leader Bilawal Bhutto referred to the return to Purana Pakistan. He welcomed the people to “Purana Pakistan” (old Pakistan) and referred to the return of ) Benazir Bhutto on April 10 in 1986 after a self-imposed exile against Zia-ul-Haq. He also referred to the approval of the 1973 Constitution of Pakistan by the then Parliament, on the same day.

The slogan Purana Pakistan that Bilawal Bhutto referred, is not only related to the approval of the Constitution in 1973 and the return of Benazir Bhutto in 1986, it was a metaphor that Bilawal used for the return of constitutional politics, following the events that led to the passing of a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan. The Supreme Court had to intervene, as Imran Khan decided to take a few constitutional principles down, trying to avoid the no-confidence motion. Bilawal's reference to the return of “Purana Pakistan was also aimed against the slogan that Imran Khan used to come to powerNaya Pakistan.

The road to April 10, 2022

First, a brief background to what happened on April 10, 2022, before looking at whether there is a return to Purana Pakistan. While the opposition in Pakistan led by the PML-N, PPP, JUI-F, and a few other regional parties came together in 2020 itself, the earlier initiatives could not succeed. The opposition parties led by Fazlur Rahman, Shehbaz Sharif, and Bilawal Bhutto came together to form the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) in 2020 to overthrow the selected Prime Minister Imran Khan.

The opposition parties were referring to Imran Khan repeatedly as a selected Prime Minister, emphasizing the role played by the establishment before and after the 2018 elections.