Old politicians and parties die hard

Old habits die hard. But now politicians say that politicians and political parties too die hard. They are there to survive and survive, if not thrive, whatever the lows and pitfalls that come their way in the electoral politics. As such, the proponents of this strong survival instinct of politicians believe that it is wrong to assume that parties whose candidates’ fees were forfeited due to big defeat in the elections, had been wiped out from the national political canvas. 

Nothing of that sort. It is rather a change of act on the drama stage of politics where power changes hands among characters meaning the politicians and so forth and so on. 

These lines that I’ve written in the beginning are my creation in my own Fair and Square style but they have been drawn on the points jotted down on the national political canvas by politicians from parties that could not make their way to power during the last general elections. One such example is the leadership of Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid) or PML-Q that refuses to accept the impression created by design by some people that the party has evaporated in thin air. This impression is altogether wrong because the politicians- and parties- who have remained in limelight always remain an alternate option in the eyes of voters. And, then the parties rendering public service have all the chances of revival and resurgence.

That is a different thing that ‘scientific election techniques’ adopted by some ‘successful parties’ block the success of parties not at all conversant with such ‘methods’ or not at all connected with the circles adept in these ‘techniques’. 

I’ve pondered over all these impressions and justifications as well as accusations against some leaders for indulging in techniques (implying machinations in all respects) and arrived at the conclusion that the oft-expressed opinion of PPP and PML-Q leaders is not wrong according to which ‘political parties die hard’. 

PML-Q’s top leader Chaudhry Pervaiz Ellahi is rather exuding confidence every now and then in his meetings and interaction with media seniors and juniors, asserting that except for PML-N’s election techniques, his party is still a viable, cherished option among the general populace which ‘still remembers our services rendered in almost all important spheres of human excellence and economic development. It came to me as a surprise when I heard such claims but when I expressed my surprise, Chaudhry quoted an example of providing shelter to the journalist community whose majority belongs to the lower middle class and is unable to maintain savings out of their meagre incomes, what to talk of buying land for their hearths and homes.  

And this welfare project was not only confined to the provincial metropolis and one community but ‘we also had carried out serious work on plans to provide cheap housing to all the toiling segments of the society including the ordinary labourers’. Besides that, inflation, unemployment, load shedding and price hike had not assumed alarming proportions during those times.

This public service ‘syndrome’ standing apart, I’m left with one unanswered question in my mind and that is how would PML-Q and for that matter other parties in the Opposition at present, counter the election techniques that they allude to as a forte of PML-N leadership and its so-called sponsors. 

The Chaudhry has been confronted with this crucial most question time and again by journalists. Most of the times Pervaiz Ellahi responds with his typical ‘smile’ that demonstrates that his composure and self-confidence are still at their all-time high. What is the secret behind?  I don’t think it is self-deception given the maturity that the Chaudhry’s personality has achieved over the years in politics especially electoral and power politics. And I don’t think that Chaudhry does Yoga daily like me which creates enough of endorphins (please forgive me if I’m mistaken about this…. A psychologist told me recently about its ‘happiness’ effects) to create a soothing, pleasing effect (if not self-complacence). —mianrehman1@gmail.com