Unity of Opposition?

Clarity and timing for actions is the essence of any struggle that makes difference between its success and failure. Unfortunately, the Opposition’s perception of today as a divided house is growing that needs to be rectified urgently. Its further delay may engulf the people in a state of helplessness and trepidation. As such, there is a dire need to urgently call (APC) of the Opposition parties to formulate political strategy embodying therein firm commitment to alleviate the sufferings of the people, and also iron-clad assurance in the continuity of the democracy as main planks of the struggle. The combined strategy of the Opposition followed by concerted practical steps may force the government to submit to the imperatives of the functioning democracy instead of continuing to resort to the political victimisation. The unity of the Opposition, if attained and demonstrated as such, may surely push the PTI leadership to see sense in cooperation instead of bullying the Opponents with draconian tactics. The united stand of the Opposition may only force the PTI leadership to come off the high horse and opt for negotiations for the compelling reason of ‘self- preservation’.

The Opposition as a whole is not seemingly operating as a political force to be reckoned with by the political leadership standing on the other side of the equation. Despite the repeated claims of the Opposition parties ‘on the same page’ the views of them galloping different directions refuse to die down. They may stand up to take the government head on as the people continue to suffer in the vicious circle of problems with no end in sight to their telling maladies. Lately, the much talked about countdown chorus has also suddenly lost its thunder to an extent in media probably as the power that be has not lost all its hopes and wants to give more time to the government to deliver. It sounds credible because the failure of the present dispensation may be deemed as failure of its own creation. However, it is also true that cascade of failures creates its own limitations incapacitating the protagonists to sustain support for longer period of time. The dominant view of the people of this government revolves around enough is enough? They may be desperately seeking the platform to pay the government leadership in equal measures with vengeance for not fulfilling their promises. The Opposition parties may seize the opportunity to respond to the cries of the people who are looking for genuine alternatives representing their aspirations.

The PTI government may surely get lease of life in the wake of visible fissures within the combined Opposition folds giving the impression of more of disarray than of the unity. The PML-N leadership’s silence under the present circumstances is giving the confused if not wrong signals to the rest of the Opposition parties. Its President Shahbaz Sharif’s absence from the country is being perceived as detrimental to the cause of the Opposition. He is supposed to articulate Opposition benches’ point of view at the National Assembly forum as the leader of the Opposition. His absence may help in the prevailing of the treasury benches point of view upon the Opposition’s by default. The PPP leadership and its chairman especially do contest the government policies invariably like accomplished parliamentarians. However, the Opposition leader’s absence is felt quite conspicuously with inherent implications of guessing game. The PPP MNAs and senators like Syed Naveed Qamar, Raza Rabbani, Nafisa Shah, Mr. Patel etc. spare no opportunity in exposing the anti-people policies of the government those have made the lives of all and sundry miserable by all accounts.

The JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, and his allies want to take the government head on and pull it down sooner than later through sustained peaceful protest. His last attempt failed because of the major political parties’ half-hearted support, according to him. The PPP leadership, living up to its repute, has been advocating various options to deal with this government in its bid to get the country out of the perennial woes inflicted by the PTI government. The idea of national government’ was floated by the PPP chairman in the past but seemingly did not catch the requisite attention and endorsement of the other Opposition political forces and stakeholders.

Evidently, it was based on forging national unity that was considered indispensible to get the country out of the lingering quagmire. The other option was ‘ in house-change’ for which requisite support in the National Assembly might not be available at present as the coalition partners were still supporting the government as per tacit understanding and accommodation. Yet another option that the PML-N and the PPP may converge on is the snap elections as the only way out of the prevailing political labyrinth. This demand is plausible as the entire Opposition views the incumbent government as the result of the rigged elections and therefore lacks the legitimacy to represent the people of Pakistan. The national and international media and also human rights organisations also raised serious reservations on the impartiality and credibility of the 2018 elections. The Opposition campaign on this basis and also on the basis of government’s failures to provide relief to the poorest of the poor may have the potential to fire the imagination of the wider segments of the society.

PPP and the JUI-F have though made it abundantly clear to launch the protest/mass contact campaign against the government during this month because the people of Pakistan have suffered beyond recognition at the hands of the policies of this government. The PML-N seems to be in the state of ambivalence and yet to come out as what its leadership has in mind that is keeping it in dead silence mode. The Opposition leaders may surely be convinced that without the united Opposition the chances of success of their movement are slim. It is therefore quite possible that the Opposition parties may get together sooner than later to figure out the united policy to challenge the government. The prevailing political and economic situation in the country undoubtedly provide the enabling grounds to the Opposition parties to set aside party politics and decide to do the national politics. Their apathy, driven by differences, may result in unintended consequences for them and for the people as domino effects.

The people have been facing the cruel brunt of price hike due to the unprecedented rate of inflation (14%), unemployment has been taking toll with its predictable and unintended ramifications for the bulging youth, one million more may join during the current financial year, manufacturing and agriculture sectors have been declining, the sugar and flour crisis have exposed the inaptness of the government to the bone, the massive violation of the Fiscal Responsibility and Debt Liability Law leading to surge of 40% national debts during the watch of this government has literary straightjacketed the country’s economy beyond repair , exports have been stagnated despite 35% depreciation in country’s currency, the revenue generation endeavors have been totally busted, short fall Rs287 billion during the first half of current FY, notwithstanding the crippling regime of taxation against the poor and the taxpayers, the media industry has been gasping for air as the journalists community has been facing the killing retrenchments and months of delayed salaries, the traders have been on the strike quite off and on. The situation has come to this pass that it is difficult to find voice in favour of the government in the multiple media. The most ironic part is that the government leadership, mired in obstinacy, is reluctant to revisit its policies in favour of reconciliation as against its policy of political witch-hunting. The PTI government sadly sees redemption in confrontation rather than in cooperation which is the essence of functioning democracy.

The foreign policy success is quoted as the feather in the cap of the incumbent government. While giving due credit for the handling of the foreign policy issues, it may be kept in mind that foreign policy of a country hardly changes with the change of the government because its dynamics are not subject to internal politics. The US-Afghan peace deal signed last week is heart-warming development in which Pakistan’s Establishment evidently played leading role after realizing, or made to realize, the unworthiness of the Afghan Policy in perpetuity. It should have not been pursued in the first place. An epiphany than never may be welcomed. Pakistan indeed had to suffer hugely diplomatically and strategically due to the Afghan policy in pursuit of magnificent strategic delusions like strategic depth, good Taliban and bad Taliban, denial of the safe havens on the soil the world hardly believed in.

The Pakistan government’s reaction over the revocation of the IHK special status by India would have not been different if the government in the country had been led by other political party or parties. The political observers may argue that the PTI leadership’s failure to act timely against the move may be unforgiving when it was clearly written in the election manifesto of the BJP to revoke the special status of IHK if voted to power. The muted and mealy-mouthed response of Saudi Arabia, and UAE taking the position of it as internal matter of India was the mega failure of our diplomacy. Government’s preemptive strategy might have prevented the Modi government not to rescind the special status of the IHK in the face of huge mobilisation by Pakistan against the move. Leadership’s crying hoarse afterwards might be deemed as in the close proximity of the squandered opportunity.

muhammadshaheedi@yahoo.com