NSTITUTIONAL rivalries and confusion are undermining the performance of the state. So perhaps it is time for the apex body, parliament, from which all other institutions draw their authority to debate and clarify the roles of all institutions. A book launch in Islamabad on Sunday was an opportunity for leaders across the political spectrum to express their concern about the state of democracy in the country and the encroachment of institutions into the political domain. Certainly, a part of the problem is a fractured political landscape, with fierce rivalries among parties and politicians contributing to undermining the democratic project. But it is also apparent that the weaknesses of the democratic order in the country are being exploited for parochial and institutional interests, putting at risk hard-won political continuity that is closing in on delivering a third consecutive on-time general election.

With Senate elections expected to be held early next year and a constitutional amendment likely to pave the way for the general election, there will be renewed focus on parliament.

Parliament should use the opportunity to assert its primacy and remind all institutions, including the federal government, of their responsibilities under the Constitution and to the people of Pakistan.

The Faizabad debacle was a shocl(ing illustration of the damage that a weak, directionless government and undesirable interference from institutions can combine to inflict on the country. Had parliament been activated during the crisis, there was enough leadership in the two houses to have helped steered the country away from a debacle, notwithstanding a government that appeared weak and indecisive and an opposition that seemed intent on drawing political blood. And if deep divisions had persisted, at least they would have manifested themselves inside parliament, drawing a necessary contrast with antidemocratic street protests.

Ultimately, however, it is across institutions that the separation of powers needs to be clarified. The judicialisation of politics and the military establishment`s increasing forays into the political realm are not only contributing to instability in the political realm, but also drawing the other institutions away from their core responsibilities.

A broken justice system in the country and the fight against militancy, terrorism and extremism are areas that need sustained focus something unnecessary and undesirable interference in the political domain by other institutions detract from. The constitutional separation of powers and the apex role of parliament exist not to perpetuate an undemocratic, elitist control of the country, but to create institutions that reflect the legitimate priorities and interests of the people. Unsatisfactory as the performance of civilian governments and political parties in some areas may be, artificial crises and contrived circumstances have too frequently undermined the political order. No country can progress, let alone achieve stability, if the locus of power is amorphous. Pakistan is a democracy and parliament must step up to remind why Pakistan must remain one.