Parting of the ways: No

Head of PPP Media Cell

The schadenfreude of the PTI and its backers may be short-lived as PPP, PML-N, JUI-F and other parties may surely be sitting together after ironing out their differences leading to convergence on the issue of resignation from the assemblies. The PPP apparently wants the option of resignation to be deferred and in the meanwhile to continue to fight against the incumbent ‘fascist government’ exposing it totally, thus shoving it to crashing under its own weight.

For, it cannot contain the inevitability of the downward slide due to want of capacity, legitimacy and wherewithal. The PPP firmly believes the PDM can generate enough momentum against the government forcing its denouement while remaining in the assemblies. This may surely be doable without pushing the democratic system in the danger zone of obliteration to the collective chagrin of the nation.

Collective wisdom is likely to sway across the great political minds of the PDM those are quite capable of the art of possible. They are definitely mindful of the premise that they may not afford to abandon the formidable and robust forum of PDM that has been instrumental of putting their heart-inspiring messages across the board. The people of Pakistan have been responding overwhelmingly to its call of getting rid of this ‘fake government’ sooner than later. It may be recalled the leadership of the two major parties had been bitterly bitten in the past at the hands of authoritarian forces and as such the realisation of twice smitten would be the faith accompli.

They are wise as they had learnt a lot from the history and therefore would not repeat the past mistakes in order to avoid the predictable unenviable consequences. Understandably, they may have no doubt in their minds of the susceptibility of the prospects of succeeding in dislodging the government alone in the face of the support of the hallucinate powers. These parties leadership understands the indispensability of the forum of PDM to achieve the objectives of the constitutional rule that has been gasping for air enduring the knee on its neck.

Certainly, the time is on the PDM side because the ‘known unknown’ may not afford to carry on the burden of their wrong choice any longer due to the compelling reasons of its image in Punjab also. It may be on the downward spiral as the ‘hybrid system’ has been failing miserably with no hope of making turnaround for the better. The province of Punjab is 65% of Pakistan capable of making and breaking of government in the country. The province of Sindh, Karachi, is also the beating heart of the economy that should stay healthy to sustain the lease of life of economic security that is the national security. The massive support base of the two parties, PPP and the PML-N, in these provinces may undoubtedly turn the table if they are together with shared objective and strategy. The PPP, PML-N and others parties, therefore, will bridge their differences in their political strategy because stakes are astoundingly high. The people may see them addressing and sharing mike at the public meetings with freshly weaved unity destined to achieve the democratic objectives as per the aspirations of the people of this country.

Unfortunately, the people have been going through the hell of inflation threatening their very survival because of the sky rocketing of the prices of food items. The tyranny of the utility bills, making their lives as unbearable burden, has been proving as double jeopardy for them by way of taxing on their pockets and patience. They feel betrayed by the leadership of the incumbent government because their tall promises remained unfulfilled with big margin.

In fact, the people have lost all hopes of better days during the foreseeable future as their miseries have been compounding unabatedly with the passage of time. The unemployment and abject poverty have been tightening the economic straightjacket around the people threatening their subsistence level by any stretch of imagination. The official cliché encompassing the claim of economic turnaround seems empty words because the country has been sinking in the morass of regression in most of the sectors barring increased inflow of remittances.

The government has no role in this surge as unofficial channel of money transfers have been significantly dried up courtesy of FATF. The waning of agriculture produce -- wheat, cotton, sugarcane — imbedded in irrefutable indicators of the failure of the agriculture policy of this government cannot be starker. The never ending long night of sufferings of the farmers may have smashed their threshold of patience forcing them now to take to the street to end the tyranny of ‘Tabdeeli’ that is indeed in reverse gear.

It may not be fair to jump into conclusions and start singing requiem for the PDM’s demise as the PPP has asked for more time for consultation during the last meeting on the question of resignation form the assemblies. The PPP leadership thinks that the resignation from the assemblies may prove as losing the political space significantly gained during the recent Senate elections and the bi-elections in the country. Remaining the part of the system would generate enough pressure to decapitate the government under the pile, the PPP leadership believes. The PPP is a mature political party of the country with impeccable democratic credentials that would go to any extent to fend and promote the constitutional rule.

The history is witness to its glorious record in this count. The PDM, being a democratic forum, has given the time to the PPP leadership to decide on the question of resignation from the assemblies that the nine parties maintain as the right prescription to get rid of the selected government foisted upon the people with the cover and over support of the state institution. Undoubtedly, PPP’s Central Executive Committee will discuss the issue threadbare to arrive at the decision that will be most suitable for the protection and promotion of the constitutional rule and democracy in the country. Its decision may certainly be catalytic of staying clear of the dangers those are lurking on the political horizon of the country.

The PML-N leaders in their media talks had generally exhibited the requisite maturity as they did not create the hype over the PPP’s insistence to remain part of the assemblies. The stalwart of PML-N, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, during his talk last week in Karachi was evidently and palatably careful. Secretary General of the PML-N, Ahsan Iqbal, in his media talks expressed no signs of heightened annoyance when he stated that the PPP was a big political force of the country and it had asked for more time to discuss the question of resignation from the assemblies, and the PDM had given the time.

Meanwhile, PDM had postponed the long march scheduled later this month so that all the components parts of the alliance take part in the future long march, if so decided, with the clarity of objectives. Evidently, to carry such a big alliance is an uphill task and ups and downs of like this are the part of the game and may not be considered as the rocking of the boat. What matter the most is that all the parties of PDM are committed to get rid of this government because it is the product of fake mandate based on the choice of the institution not of the people. PPP is likely to come back with the mode of rallying around the other parties on its stance without resorting to the parting of the ways if it fails to convince others. Neither the PML-N nor the PPP may afford the stalemate because the people of Pakistan have pinned all their hopes of political emancipation with the PDM alliance.

PPP’s narrative to live to fight for the other day may make sense. The PDM is facing the situation of do or die. It needs unequivocal clarity in the policy and action plan among the component parties as a pre-requisite. The mixed signals from the leadership of the PDM may surely be not helpful. Timely political decisions backed by all the political parties may be overemphasised.

The PDM Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, in his presser, viewed that without resignation from the assemblies the chances of success of the long march, to achieve its cherished goal, may not bear fruit.

On the other hand, PPP was not in favour of resignations articulating the time of ‘pressing the nuclear button’ had not arrived yet. Its argument holds the water implying the ultimate option may not be exercised at this stage as it may queer the pitch altogether leaving no chance for players to play on. On the other hand, the Maulana fully backed by the PML-N are in the mode of ‘do or die’ as the long march cannot fail because the people are fed up with ‘hybrid’ system that has totally failed to deliver.

Their sufferings have crashed the threshold of their endurance and now waiting the signal of the leadership to take to the streets to pull down the government that has been foisted upon them through the fraudulent elections.

Tailpiece: Pray for speedy recovery of Prime Minister Imran Khan.

muhammadshaheedi@yahoo.com