Heating up of domestic politics, sadly

The passage of the State Bank Bill led the government to gloat in confidence at the expense of the Opposition that attracted people’s criticism at all platforms of media purporting the Opposition parties may not succeed in getting the people out of the vicious circle of miseries caused by the ruling party. This damning indictment of the public court of the Opposition might have given jolt to the Opposition parties to get together and endeavor to push the government out of the corridors of power. The demand evidently has become the voice of the people almost equating with divine proclamation. It clearly suggests that under the immense public opinion pressure, a consensus seemingly has emerged among the Opposition parties of sending this government home collectively if the people ought to survive and thrive during the days and years to come.

Politicians are astute personas who know the art of possible. They survive, thrive and move forward on the dynamics of public opinion. They feel the pulse of the people and its optics and make move at the right time because timing quite often plays a decisive role in failure and success in politics, in particular. As politicians of substance, the PPP and PMLN leadership moved last week with the clear intention of getting together to get rid of the incompetent and inefficient PTI government. It seems the timing is right because the prospects of success are higher when reviewed in the context of joint struggle.

The people of Pakistan were pleasantly taken aback when TV news channel flashed the news item last Saturday that PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Co-Chairman Asif ALI Zardari would have luncheon meeting with Opposition Leader Shahbaz Sharif accompanied by other leaders of the PMLN at his Lahore residence to discuss the overall political situation of the country and also to deliberate upon as how the anti-government movement could be made effective, purposeful and result-oriented destined meant to send the PTI government home in order to save the country from the brink of precipice as the massive poverty, unemployment and the inflation have engulfed the country right across making the lives of the people miserable with no end in sight of their long night of sufferings.

Evidently, the Opposition as a whole was seemingly very much worried after the enactment of State Bank Bill in the Senate notwithstanding the Opposition had clear majority in the House and yet the passage of the bill was perceived hitting hard at the political standing of the Opposition, according to the views and news. The perception that might have emerged among the people was the Opposition was an entity divided against itself and therefore its flip flops would remain inconsequential to the collective disappointment of the nation.

The nation was left in the cold with strong realisation that they have to fend for themselves as the divided opposition political forces would not succeed in helping them out in getting rid of this incompetent and vindictive government. Their feelings of hapless and helplessness were understandable in the face of sufferings that had been compounding during the last more than three years of the incumbent government. It had unleashed the cascade of poverty, unemployment and inflation if not by design but surely by default rooted in incompetence, inaptitude and indiscipline of appalling proportion. The passage of the state Bank Bill led the government gloated in confidence at the expense of the Opposition that attracted people’ criticism at all platforms of media stating the Opposition parties may not succeed in getting people out of the morass. This might have given jolt to the Opposition parties to get together and endeavour to push the government out of the corridors of power collectively that also evidently has become the voice of the people almost equating with divine proclamation. Sending this government home absolutely imperative if the people of the country ought to survive and thrive during the days and years to come. This acute realisation may have pushed the major political parties to get together at the earliest for the worthwhile national cause.

It seems the convergence may be arrived at of moving the no-confidence motion in the Punjab where the success of the motion seems more likely because of slim majority of the PTI that could be reduced to minority if (Train group) in general and PMLQ in particular favours the move because it holds the balance of power in Punjab. The probability of this may not be far-fetched cry if the Establishment becomes neutral as both have been expressing their reservations in public about the unseemly governance of the incumbent government making the people angry with anguish. Jahangir Train Group is seemingly quite capable of playing decisive role both at the provincial and federal level if it aligned itself with the Opposition.

Both groups, according to media reports, might have been in touch with the PPP high command with regard to no-confidence motion against government if Establishment stays neutral. The obtaining political developments suggests the neutrality might ride the political scene of the country in the near future although PMLN president in media talk after the meeting with PPP chairman and co-chairman has skipped the question by asserting,’ has PMLN running politics on signals during the past more than three years’.

The PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and PMLN president’s tone and tenor amply suggest that both the political parties have seemingly decided to move against the incumbent government in the Parliament and on the streets while maintaining their identity as political parties. The final decision in this regard, according to them, will be taken during the current week or during the next week after consultations at the appropriate level of the respective party hierarchy. It is certain that the politics in the country will be heated-up if not to the boiling point but to the much more than simmering during the month of March this year if not earlier. Both the parties have committed to the nation not to settle less than getting rid of this incompetent, vindictive and corrupt’ government because the nation cannot afford any more of its remaining clinging to the corridors of power.

It may be prudent if the top leadership of the government climb down many a notches and take bold political indicatives to mend fences with the Opposition because the country cannot afford politics of confrontation in the country keeping in view the fast emerging geo-political situation, surge of terrorism in Balochistan and KP and the precarious economic situation with burgeoning trade deficit and depleting foreign exchange reserves, putting the local currency under immense pressure as a rail-on –impact.

Make no mistake, the politics of acrimony and brinkmanship will only please the enemies of the country at our expense. Whose cause government leaders are serving any way by sticking to their guns even at this critical juncture of our history?

Muhammad Shaheedi @Yahoo.com