The PTI government seems to be going for a more realpolitik approach of trying to break the opposition from the inside rather than fighting it as a collective. The Federal Minister for Information Senator Shibli Faraz has stated that the government is ready for dialogue only with the serious-minded leadership of the opposition, but PDM chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and PML-N vice president Maryam Nawaz should not be part of the process.
Where is the government trying to go with this? It looks to be shooting for a divide-and-rule strategy, by tempting the groups of opposition which pose less political competition for the government. This appears mainly to consist of the PPP—while the PTI and PPP have exchanged tense words with each other, there is less political rivalry because of the different areas the parties are popular in.
Will the PPP bend? It cannot be denied that there are fierce ideological differences between PPP and the rest of the parties in the opposition alliance. Previous joint opposition efforts also have been foiled by disagreements between the PPP and the rest—in the presidential election, PML-N and JUI-F chose to field Maulana Fazlur Rehman as a candidate whereas PPP partied ways and fielded Aitzaz Ahsan—leading to a specular loss for both segments. Yet the PPP, especially the upcoming young leadership, has also put forth the most fierce resistance and rhetoric against the government, with Bilawal Bhutto threatening a long march if the PM doesn’t resign.
Whether the strategy works or not, it is still interesting to see who the government has identified as a force it can work with, in contrast to which figures are unforgivable. It is a more clever approach than outright rejection—however, for this to work, the government has to show that it is capable of listening to its allies and partners in government, something it hasn’t leaned towards so far.
https://nation.com.pk/30-Dec-2020/divide-and-rule
Divide And Rule: edit in THE NATION, DEC 30, 2020
The PTI government seems to be going for a more realpolitik approach of trying to break the opposition from the inside rather than fighting it as a collective. The Federal Minister for Information Senator Shibli Faraz has stated that the government is ready for dialogue only with the serious-minded leadership of the opposition, but PDM chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and PML-N vice president Maryam Nawaz should not be part of the process.
Where is the government trying to go with this? It looks to be shooting for a divide-and-rule strategy, by tempting the groups of opposition which pose less political competition for the government. This appears mainly to consist of the PPP—while the PTI and PPP have exchanged tense words with each other, there is less political rivalry because of the different areas the parties are popular in.
Will the PPP bend? It cannot be denied that there are fierce ideological differences between PPP and the rest of the parties in the opposition alliance. Previous joint opposition efforts also have been foiled by disagreements between the PPP and the rest—in the presidential election, PML-N and JUI-F chose to field Maulana Fazlur Rehman as a candidate whereas PPP partied ways and fielded Aitzaz Ahsan—leading to a specular loss for both segments. Yet the PPP, especially the upcoming young leadership, has also put forth the most fierce resistance and rhetoric against the government, with Bilawal Bhutto threatening a long march if the PM doesn’t resign.
Whether the strategy works or not, it is still interesting to see who the government has identified as a force it can work with, in contrast to which figures are unforgivable. It is a more clever approach than outright rejection—however, for this to work, the government has to show that it is capable of listening to its allies and partners in government, something it hasn’t leaned towards so far.
https://nation.com.pk/30-Dec-2020/divide-and-rule
Published in Pak Media comment and Pakistan