It is difficult to see the direction in which politics in the country is moving at the present time. In the first place, there are obvious differences within the PDM itself, although on Friday after the PDM meeting in Lahore, Maulana Fazalur Rahman announced that the Long March to Islamabad would go ahead, and that it could indeed even make its destination Rawalpindi instead. This is obviously a very significant statement, given what it points directly to. Meanwhile, within the PDM, there are reports that at least some of the rumoured differences between the PPP and the PML-N have been cleared up, although it is uncertain to what extent this is accurate. Asif Ali Zardari, who has very little to gain by offering resignations from the assemblies given that the PPP would lose its government in Sindh, has persuaded Nawaz Sharif to also follow the as-yet-unclear strategy he says he has in mind. Insiders suggest this may hover around a vote of no-confidence against the PM and ouster from within the assemblies. This would also fall in line with democratic practices, but it is far from certain if the PDM can pull off such a move.
At the same time, while Imran Khan, in a detailed interview to a television channel, has insisted that he is no puppet and that there’s no evidence that his party or his government are being ‘directed’, there seems to be a degree of tension and uncertainty within the government. Analysts say this is depicted by the new arrests being made including that of Khawaja Asif by NAB. While the PTI government maintains it has no links with NAB and does not influence its decisions, there are many questions being asked about this and about the matter of how NAB acts and what its role is in arresting persons against whom very little proof has been produced in the past. Shortly after PM Imran Khan’s interview, the PML-N, made it clear it was in no mood to move towards a truce. At a press conference, Ahsan Iqbal accused the PTI government of incompetence and corruption while asking why cases such as the BRT affair in Peshawar were not being investigated by NAB while opposition leaders continued to come under NAB scrutiny.
There are further elements to this opposition-government tussle. Muhammad Ali Durrani, of the PML-F has met both Shahbaz Sharif in prison, and now Maulana Fazalur Rahman. Maulana Fazalur Rahman meanwhile has hinted that an important message has been conveyed to him, and the rumours suggest Durrani may have delivered this message. We do not yet know precisely what its contents are or what the message says. However, clearly matters are moving quickly. It is believed that Zardari is keen to keep the matters at a slower pace, while Nawaz Sharif is in somewhat of a rush. But it is difficult to predict how things will unfold. An alliance between the PML-F, the JUI-F and the PML-N could also be a source of anxiety for the PPP in Sindh. The question of parties and their agreements within the PDM remains an open one, while the government, it is believed, is standing on somewhat shaky ground, given its poor performance over the last two and a half years. It does continue to insist, however, that it is not threatened by the threat of a long march and will remain in power for the rest of its term.
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/768181-the-political-maze
The political maze: Editorial in The News, 03 Jan 2021
It is difficult to see the direction in which politics in the country is moving at the present time. In the first place, there are obvious differences within the PDM itself, although on Friday after the PDM meeting in Lahore, Maulana Fazalur Rahman announced that the Long March to Islamabad would go ahead, and that it could indeed even make its destination Rawalpindi instead. This is obviously a very significant statement, given what it points directly to. Meanwhile, within the PDM, there are reports that at least some of the rumoured differences between the PPP and the PML-N have been cleared up, although it is uncertain to what extent this is accurate. Asif Ali Zardari, who has very little to gain by offering resignations from the assemblies given that the PPP would lose its government in Sindh, has persuaded Nawaz Sharif to also follow the as-yet-unclear strategy he says he has in mind. Insiders suggest this may hover around a vote of no-confidence against the PM and ouster from within the assemblies. This would also fall in line with democratic practices, but it is far from certain if the PDM can pull off such a move.
At the same time, while Imran Khan, in a detailed interview to a television channel, has insisted that he is no puppet and that there’s no evidence that his party or his government are being ‘directed’, there seems to be a degree of tension and uncertainty within the government. Analysts say this is depicted by the new arrests being made including that of Khawaja Asif by NAB. While the PTI government maintains it has no links with NAB and does not influence its decisions, there are many questions being asked about this and about the matter of how NAB acts and what its role is in arresting persons against whom very little proof has been produced in the past. Shortly after PM Imran Khan’s interview, the PML-N, made it clear it was in no mood to move towards a truce. At a press conference, Ahsan Iqbal accused the PTI government of incompetence and corruption while asking why cases such as the BRT affair in Peshawar were not being investigated by NAB while opposition leaders continued to come under NAB scrutiny.
There are further elements to this opposition-government tussle. Muhammad Ali Durrani, of the PML-F has met both Shahbaz Sharif in prison, and now Maulana Fazalur Rahman. Maulana Fazalur Rahman meanwhile has hinted that an important message has been conveyed to him, and the rumours suggest Durrani may have delivered this message. We do not yet know precisely what its contents are or what the message says. However, clearly matters are moving quickly. It is believed that Zardari is keen to keep the matters at a slower pace, while Nawaz Sharif is in somewhat of a rush. But it is difficult to predict how things will unfold. An alliance between the PML-F, the JUI-F and the PML-N could also be a source of anxiety for the PPP in Sindh. The question of parties and their agreements within the PDM remains an open one, while the government, it is believed, is standing on somewhat shaky ground, given its poor performance over the last two and a half years. It does continue to insist, however, that it is not threatened by the threat of a long march and will remain in power for the rest of its term.
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/768181-the-political-maze
Published in Pak Media comment and Pakistan