Political Dealmaking: edit in The Nation, Mar 9, 2021
The political temperature in the country is increasing by the day. The opposition’s wins in the by-elections and the government’s failure to secure a majority in the Senate election have emboldened the PDM alliance. The main political parties in the opposition, have reportedly contacted Mutahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and Pakistan Muslim League Quaid (PML-Q).
As per interior minister Sheikh Rasheed’s admission, PTI rivals would target Usman Buzdar in the coming days; the opposition has already set its eyes on Punjab, as evidenced by the whispers of contacts with PML-Q.
Things can get further complicated for PTI in Punjab, where PML-Q is reportedly not entirely happy with the government set up, although the full weight of support is thrown behind the provincial set up in public.
The coming few days are challenging for the government. As per reports, the allies, who played a significant role to make Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan win the trust vote, want top positions in government affairs. But the government’s show of weakness to their demands can offend the estranged members of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
Will the ruling party succeed in defending itself from the political siege of the opposition? The latter’s contact with the allies, especially PML-Q, and the disgruntlement of some PTI lawmakers could make a difficult proposition for the government to manage.
Technically, the government is in a better position to offer its allies more. Most importantly, if it adheres to the promises made to its partners, it might avert this possible split entirely. Doing so will help in keeping loyalties aligned. As a result of these delays in fulfilling promises made to coalition partners, the PTI leadership should not feign surprise if backchannel meetings take place between its allies and the opposition. https://nation.com.pk/09-Mar-2021/political-dealmaking
Chaudhrys and Bhuttos: edit in Daily Times, Mar 9, 2021
The Chaudhry clan of Gujrat has historically dominated the political landscape for nearly six decades now. Given their crucial tilting of the windmills, time and again, it was only natural that their support would become a key debate ahead of the race for Senate chairmanship. Yet, standing by their allies on the treasury benches, PML-Q chief, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, declined the PPP’s request for support of Yousaf Raza Gillani. The plot further thickened when senior Q leader, Moonis Elahi, took to Twitter to repudiate Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s appeal as nothing but rumours.
This interesting interaction between two grandsons (Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and Chaudhry Zahoor Elahi) has brought on a new twist in the cut-throat antagonism between the two families. The rivalry goes back as early as ZAB’s tenure when Elahi was arrested for several years on charges that did not stand in a court of law (once accused in a buffalo theft case.) He was among the nine parliamentary leaders thrown out of the house during the PPP tenure. Elahi Sr, in return, is famous for buying the pen, which was used to write ZAB’s death sentence, and presenting it to Gen Zia-ul-Haq. The cut-throat, five-decades-old enmity made it to national debates when former president, Asif Ali Zardari, embraced the Chaudhrys in 2011. The alliance of convenience was further cemented when cousin Pervez Elahi was appointed deputy prime minister. From being at each other’s throats over accusations as serious as murder to cuddling for power, the two families have come a long way. It is only the pursuit for political dominion that allows parties like the PPP to turn a blind eye to whatever has transpired between them and their adversaries. The famous Charter of Democracy signed with Nawaz Sharif; Benazir’s request to Sahibzada Yaqub Khan (Zia’s Foreign Minister) to be a part of her team and appointing Ghulam Ishaq Khan (known anti-Bhutto) as president are all glaring examples of the PPP showing exemplary “generosity” in mending fences whenever needed. Call it reconciliation, magnanimity or turning of the tables, the game of politics can never be certain.
Whether Moonis acknowledges it, PML-Q’s staunch stance when it came to honouring its commitment with the government shows political maturity rarely seen in Pakistan’s power struggle. Amid times when party loyalties are being bought off like candy and principled positions keep flipping like clouds in the sky, the Chaudhrys have maintained a reputation for playing honestly. It can only be hoped that this inclination for transparency and reconciliatory politics trickles down to other key players. Honesty is the best policy in politics only if those running the game realise its worth. https://dailytimes.com.pk/732222/chaudhrys-and-bhuttos/
Hate-filled politics: Editorial in Dawn, March 9th, 2021
THE speaker of the National Assembly has ordered a probe into the unfortunate incident outside the parliament building in which a crowd of PTI supporters harassed and manhandled senior leaders of the PML-N. The probe is not likely to produce an outcome. Since the incident most senior PTI leaders have either ignored the incident or blamed the opposition for holding the press conference at a venue where a PTI crowd had gathered. This amounts to blaming the victim. It is an illustration of the depths of partisan politicking we have fallen into that seemingly reasonable men and women of the government are ready and willing to justify the manhandling of their senior parliamentary colleagues — albeit from the other side of the aisle — to avoid blaming their own supporters. Such apathy and deliberate callousness is fast pushing our politics towards moral bankruptcy, and thereby chipping away at the legitimacy that politicians must retain in order to keep the representative system afloat.
This legitimacy also got a battering by the electoral manipulation that happened in the NA-75 Daska by-election under the direct supervision of the PTI’s Punjab government. It got further degraded by the shenanigans Pakistanis witnessed before and during the Senate elections. Leaked videos of vote buying, allegations of horse-trading and the government’s failed attempts to force through a change in the mode of voting for narrow political interests are events that together have delivered a body blow to the legitimacy of the system in its present shape and form.
Nothing could be more unfortunate. After decades of struggling for constitutional democracy and a representative system of governance in which all parties are critical stakeholders, today’s political outfits are reversing themselves — and the system — into an unpleasant past. Loathing is all pervasive. This hate is beyond the stage where rivals can construct a functional relationship for the sake of the system. The incident outside parliament has shown that those in government are unwilling, or unable, to dilute their virulent partisanship at any cost. The genesis of this virulence lies, to a great extent, in the unwillingness of Prime Minister Imran Khan to accept the PML-N and PPP leaders as genuine parliamentary rivals. He considers them corrupt thieves who should be in jail, not in the assemblies. His rank and file have internalised this narrative and therefore it is not surprising that partisanship has acquired the colours of personal enmity and collective loathing. It was this loathing that drove PTI supporters to attack senior leaders, including a woman, of the PML-N, and it is this loathing that disallows PTI leaders to condemn the incident without any conditions attached. Pakistani politics is hurtling down a worrisome path and few appear to recognise the threat, or care too much about it. Someone needs to usher in sanity and restraint before we hearken back to the demons of the past.https://www.dawn.com/news/1611523/hate-filled-politics
Political deal making, hate filled politics– Editorials
Political Dealmaking: edit in The Nation, Mar 9, 2021
The political temperature in the country is increasing by the day. The opposition’s wins in the by-elections and the government’s failure to secure a majority in the Senate election have emboldened the PDM alliance. The main political parties in the opposition, have reportedly contacted Mutahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and Pakistan Muslim League Quaid (PML-Q).
As per interior minister Sheikh Rasheed’s admission, PTI rivals would target Usman Buzdar in the coming days; the opposition has already set its eyes on Punjab, as evidenced by the whispers of contacts with PML-Q.
Things can get further complicated for PTI in Punjab, where PML-Q is reportedly not entirely happy with the government set up, although the full weight of support is thrown behind the provincial set up in public.
The coming few days are challenging for the government. As per reports, the allies, who played a significant role to make Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan win the trust vote, want top positions in government affairs. But the government’s show of weakness to their demands can offend the estranged members of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
Will the ruling party succeed in defending itself from the political siege of the opposition? The latter’s contact with the allies, especially PML-Q, and the disgruntlement of some PTI lawmakers could make a difficult proposition for the government to manage.
Technically, the government is in a better position to offer its allies more. Most importantly, if it adheres to the promises made to its partners, it might avert this possible split entirely. Doing so will help in keeping loyalties aligned. As a result of these delays in fulfilling promises made to coalition partners, the PTI leadership should not feign surprise if backchannel meetings take place between its allies and the opposition. https://nation.com.pk/09-Mar-2021/political-dealmaking
Chaudhrys and Bhuttos: edit in Daily Times, Mar 9, 2021
The Chaudhry clan of Gujrat has historically dominated the political landscape for nearly six decades now. Given their crucial tilting of the windmills, time and again, it was only natural that their support would become a key debate ahead of the race for Senate chairmanship. Yet, standing by their allies on the treasury benches, PML-Q chief, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, declined the PPP’s request for support of Yousaf Raza Gillani. The plot further thickened when senior Q leader, Moonis Elahi, took to Twitter to repudiate Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s appeal as nothing but rumours.
This interesting interaction between two grandsons (Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and Chaudhry Zahoor Elahi) has brought on a new twist in the cut-throat antagonism between the two families. The rivalry goes back as early as ZAB’s tenure when Elahi was arrested for several years on charges that did not stand in a court of law (once accused in a buffalo theft case.) He was among the nine parliamentary leaders thrown out of the house during the PPP tenure. Elahi Sr, in return, is famous for buying the pen, which was used to write ZAB’s death sentence, and presenting it to Gen Zia-ul-Haq. The cut-throat, five-decades-old enmity made it to national debates when former president, Asif Ali Zardari, embraced the Chaudhrys in 2011. The alliance of convenience was further cemented when cousin Pervez Elahi was appointed deputy prime minister. From being at each other’s throats over accusations as serious as murder to cuddling for power, the two families have come a long way. It is only the pursuit for political dominion that allows parties like the PPP to turn a blind eye to whatever has transpired between them and their adversaries. The famous Charter of Democracy signed with Nawaz Sharif; Benazir’s request to Sahibzada Yaqub Khan (Zia’s Foreign Minister) to be a part of her team and appointing Ghulam Ishaq Khan (known anti-Bhutto) as president are all glaring examples of the PPP showing exemplary “generosity” in mending fences whenever needed. Call it reconciliation, magnanimity or turning of the tables, the game of politics can never be certain.
Whether Moonis acknowledges it, PML-Q’s staunch stance when it came to honouring its commitment with the government shows political maturity rarely seen in Pakistan’s power struggle. Amid times when party loyalties are being bought off like candy and principled positions keep flipping like clouds in the sky, the Chaudhrys have maintained a reputation for playing honestly. It can only be hoped that this inclination for transparency and reconciliatory politics trickles down to other key players. Honesty is the best policy in politics only if those running the game realise its worth. https://dailytimes.com.pk/732222/chaudhrys-and-bhuttos/
Hate-filled politics: Editorial in Dawn, March 9th, 2021
THE speaker of the National Assembly has ordered a probe into the unfortunate incident outside the parliament building in which a crowd of PTI supporters harassed and manhandled senior leaders of the PML-N. The probe is not likely to produce an outcome. Since the incident most senior PTI leaders have either ignored the incident or blamed the opposition for holding the press conference at a venue where a PTI crowd had gathered. This amounts to blaming the victim. It is an illustration of the depths of partisan politicking we have fallen into that seemingly reasonable men and women of the government are ready and willing to justify the manhandling of their senior parliamentary colleagues — albeit from the other side of the aisle — to avoid blaming their own supporters. Such apathy and deliberate callousness is fast pushing our politics towards moral bankruptcy, and thereby chipping away at the legitimacy that politicians must retain in order to keep the representative system afloat.
This legitimacy also got a battering by the electoral manipulation that happened in the NA-75 Daska by-election under the direct supervision of the PTI’s Punjab government. It got further degraded by the shenanigans Pakistanis witnessed before and during the Senate elections. Leaked videos of vote buying, allegations of horse-trading and the government’s failed attempts to force through a change in the mode of voting for narrow political interests are events that together have delivered a body blow to the legitimacy of the system in its present shape and form.
Nothing could be more unfortunate. After decades of struggling for constitutional democracy and a representative system of governance in which all parties are critical stakeholders, today’s political outfits are reversing themselves — and the system — into an unpleasant past. Loathing is all pervasive. This hate is beyond the stage where rivals can construct a functional relationship for the sake of the system. The incident outside parliament has shown that those in government are unwilling, or unable, to dilute their virulent partisanship at any cost. The genesis of this virulence lies, to a great extent, in the unwillingness of Prime Minister Imran Khan to accept the PML-N and PPP leaders as genuine parliamentary rivals. He considers them corrupt thieves who should be in jail, not in the assemblies. His rank and file have internalised this narrative and therefore it is not surprising that partisanship has acquired the colours of personal enmity and collective loathing. It was this loathing that drove PTI supporters to attack senior leaders, including a woman, of the PML-N, and it is this loathing that disallows PTI leaders to condemn the incident without any conditions attached. Pakistani politics is hurtling down a worrisome path and few appear to recognise the threat, or care too much about it. Someone needs to usher in sanity and restraint before we hearken back to the demons of the past.https://www.dawn.com/news/1611523/hate-filled-politics
Published in Pak Media comment and Pakistan