The government had only barely patched up some of the cracks that had appeared in the Punjab coalition government and things are already falling apart in the centre. The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) is now threatening street protests because the government just went back on one of its core promises made to the party when they first shook hands and gone ahead and approved the controversial National Census-2017. Fed up because half the electoral cycle is already over and none of its demands have yet been met, the party is now very seriously considering taking to the streets because it does not apparently know what else to do.
Their frustration is understandable since Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI) has shown a tendency of taking even very crucial allies for granted. The Chaudharys of Punjab have been on edge for a long time and finally the prime minister had to swallow his pride and call on them to calm their nerves. But since the government badly needs MQM’s seven votes to stay intact in the national assembly, it is not immediately clear why it is letting such an important alliance go sour like this. For its part MQM has made it clear that it in no way wants to blackmail the government, but it has also said in no uncertain terms that it has run out of options as well as patience and the ball is now squarely in the ruling party’s court.
One would expect PTI to be more circumspect at such a sensitive time. For no matter how much it downplays the threat from the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), there can be no denying that the 11-party opposition alliance that has a one-point agenda of unseating the government is giving serious headaches to PTI. Its actions are beginning to betray a kind of over confidence and arrogance at a time when it should be doing whatever it can to put a lid on all the unrest. Perhaps after spending too many years in opposition PTI is struggling to understand that a party’s set of responsibilities tend to change when it comes to power. Now it must manage all its differences with other parties in a way that benefits not hurts the people of the country. And if the only thing it can think of is following a narrow path even if it means going back on its promises and upsetting partners then it is just not practicing the kind of politics that is needed in a country like Pakistan. It’s best if the ruling party revises its priorities.
https://dailytimes.com.pk/705971/headaches-for-the-government/
Headaches for the government: edit in Daily Times, Dec 26, 2020
The government had only barely patched up some of the cracks that had appeared in the Punjab coalition government and things are already falling apart in the centre. The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) is now threatening street protests because the government just went back on one of its core promises made to the party when they first shook hands and gone ahead and approved the controversial National Census-2017. Fed up because half the electoral cycle is already over and none of its demands have yet been met, the party is now very seriously considering taking to the streets because it does not apparently know what else to do.
Their frustration is understandable since Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI) has shown a tendency of taking even very crucial allies for granted. The Chaudharys of Punjab have been on edge for a long time and finally the prime minister had to swallow his pride and call on them to calm their nerves. But since the government badly needs MQM’s seven votes to stay intact in the national assembly, it is not immediately clear why it is letting such an important alliance go sour like this. For its part MQM has made it clear that it in no way wants to blackmail the government, but it has also said in no uncertain terms that it has run out of options as well as patience and the ball is now squarely in the ruling party’s court.
One would expect PTI to be more circumspect at such a sensitive time. For no matter how much it downplays the threat from the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), there can be no denying that the 11-party opposition alliance that has a one-point agenda of unseating the government is giving serious headaches to PTI. Its actions are beginning to betray a kind of over confidence and arrogance at a time when it should be doing whatever it can to put a lid on all the unrest. Perhaps after spending too many years in opposition PTI is struggling to understand that a party’s set of responsibilities tend to change when it comes to power. Now it must manage all its differences with other parties in a way that benefits not hurts the people of the country. And if the only thing it can think of is following a narrow path even if it means going back on its promises and upsetting partners then it is just not practicing the kind of politics that is needed in a country like Pakistan. It’s best if the ruling party revises its priorities.
https://dailytimes.com.pk/705971/headaches-for-the-government/
Published in Pak Media comment and Pakistan