by Shafqat Ali in The Nation, Dec 4, 2023
ISLAMABAD – Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) (PML-N) are engaged in a fierce political fight in Balochistan weeks before the general elections. Both the major political parties are trying to win maximum electables before the February 8 polls.
The contest so far is in favour of the PML-N, with the PPP not giving up.
PPP supremo Asif Ali Zardari enjoys influence among the Baloch leaders and believes he can turn the table.
The PPP faces a dual challenge as it strives for electoral success, grappling with the task of securing influential support and translating crowd enthusiasm into a reliable vote bank.
Despite an impactful political gathering in Balochistan, the party struggles to gain backing from significant ‘electables’ in the region, in contrast to PML-N’s success in the same endeavor.
PPP leaders, including Asif Ali Zardari and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, are actively working to establish a foothold in Balochistan.
However, their efforts encounter resistance from electables who have aligned with PML-N, notably after Nawaz Sharif’s successful engagement with over 70 per cent of electables during his Quetta visit. In response, PPP intensified its efforts, focusing on key figures like former Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan.
But influential figures, including Kamal, have already pledged allegiance to PML-N. Meanwhile, Sharif strategically has aligned with Balochistan’s political leaders, enhancing PML-N’s position in the region.
The upcoming general elections, originally slated for November but delayed to February, face controversies as the election commission is accused of manipulating constituency borders to favor Nawaz Sharif’s return to power, raising concerns about pre-poll rigging and doubts regarding the elections’ fairness.
https://www.nation.com.pk/E-Paper/lahore/2023-12-04/page-1/detail-6
