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And yet, even if this somewhat amoral decision had to be taken, in whatever 'greater national interest' the government had in mind, it would have been far more appropriate to at least take on board all stakeholders and evolve a consensus, which might have lent the move a veneer of legitimacy.
Since coming to power in 2018, the PTI has regrettably placed greater reliance on presidential ordinances to bring in laws of its own liking. By one reckoning, this government has introduced more than 75 such measures since 2018. In the same period, 376 bills were laid before the Lower House, of which 108 were passed into law while 126 await the assent of the Upper House.
It is true that the Constitution asserts that if the president is "satisfied that circumstances exist which render it necessary to take immediate action", he may promulgate a law through an ordinance. But this provision exists in anticipation of an extraordinary situation and cannot be a substitute for the process of debate, consideration and voting that any draft law put before parliament undergoes.
Unfortunately, bypassing elected representatives to approve a contentious law has become something of a norm for the PTI government. It has been especially apparent in the case of the electoral process.