People’s march

Pakistan is facing a challenging time with international and domestic conflicts. Russia has locked horns with the West and PM Imran Khan’s ill-timed visit to Moscow has put Pakistan on the spot.

Pakistan should have stayed neutral in this conflict, just like China. But with poor foreign policy since day one and getting nil response from Washington, Khan took this step without realising its repercussions. Amidst all this, the political temperature within Pakistan is at a high. Constant meetings of opposition parties with each other and with Khan’s allies has worried the PM.

The timing of the PPP’s 10-day march to Islamabad was perfect to mount public and political pressure on Khan. Already the opposition has decided to bring a no-confidence motion against the prime minister and a forward bloc of the ruling party led by the PM’s former friend is ready to vote against him. All this has cumulatively worked in favour of the opposition, especially the PPP which has taken an individual stand by marching against Khan.

Bilawal Bhutto has got overwhelming support from his home ground and is aiming for a huge crowd in the capital. Amidst this pressure PM announced a reduction in the prices of petrol/diesel and electricity just after the People’s March entered its second day. This was a sign of victory for Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto who had successfully gained momentum from the start of the march.

The optics of the People’s March are alarming for Khan. With nothing much to offer, he has lost the battle already. Khan’s unpopular decisions, disconnect from the people and personal vendetta with the opposition has left him with no space to rescue his unpopular government. The damage is already done.

In politics it's all about how one reacts to a particular situation; it's a battle of nerves. Khan is calling the wrong shots in pressure. The PTI tried to counter the People’s March in Sindh just to create a conflict but ultimately faced miserable defeat. Some federal ministers, including the foreign minister, made an awful attempt to agitate but couldn’t get any substantial response.

Now, all eyes are on Bilawal. He is young and energetic, and a crowd puller; he has the same charm as his mother and grandfather possessed. This time he is accompanied by his younger sister Aseefa Bhutto Zardari; this duo will surely gather a good crowd in Punjab.

If Khan stops the march from entering the capital, then the situation can get ugly. The PPP -- with a history of facing dictatorships -- will not revert if pushed away by a government which is already weak. If the no-confidence motion gets successfully passed in favour of the opposition while Chairman Bilawal enters Islamabad then a huge share of the credit would be given to Bilawal Bhutto.

Such movements always energise the workers of a party, here the plus point of the PPP is a strong coordinated party structure and ample experience of struggle. The PML-N, on the other hand, is a victim of its own internal crisis as to who will be the next in the driving seat. Nawaz being in London and the obvious cold war between uncle and niece has created much confusion within their party ranks. However, collectively the opposition is on the same page to oust Imran by hook or by crook.

The match is towards its final over, the Kaptaan is on a weak pitch, and a young dynamic batsman with blazing eyes, wearing a jersey with Bhutto written on it is on his crease. The People’s Eleven looks strong and energised while the Tabdeeli Eleven is in an awful shape as its key players are not satisfied with the poor decisions made by the Kaptaan. The stadium is packed with a charged crowd chanting slogans in favour of the People’s batsman. The match has entered towards a nail-biting climax and the predictions drawn suggest a victory for the people.

The writer is a columnist and social activist.

He tweets @MustafaBaloch_