Alliances and reversions

With 2018 approaching this game of political chess is taking shape

PESHAWAR: As 2018 approaches, the political forces are warming up to each other for newer alliances. The Awami National Party, Jamaat-e-Islami, Jamiat-e-Ulema Islam-Fazl and the Qaumi Watan Party – all have their top leadership from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. So what would the future alliances look like?

While the coalition between the PTI-JI-QWP has been bumpy, QWP has been in and out of the coalition once during its relationship with the PTI. The remnant of this is a legal battle between PTI chief Imran Khan and one of QWP’s former minister Bakht Baidar is still being pursued in the court. JI had voiced its concerns during the local bodies’ elections from within the party. Lastly, the entire Bank of Khyber issue, which has now been resolved, has left its scars on both the PTI and JI. The separation from PTI is an idea that has not been completely abandoned. But the more pressing question is what future course will JI take. The Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal and its chances of revival are limited. JI and QWP do have understanding but QWP has made some level of contact with the Pakistan Peoples Party as well.

While the Maulana Fazalur Rehman-lead JUI-F is still being fed the perks from Pakistan Muslim League–Nawaz-led federal government, provincial leaders from K-P in a recent party meeting have raised their concerns to their leader.

It is prudent to act before it is too late, as one party leader put it. But the Maulana is adamant to see the fruit of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) being delivered to the doorsteps of his constituency before any decision is made. MMA is also dead to him. Any future alliance of religious and political parties would be minus the JUI-F.

And if political observers and those who make these deals behind closed doors are to be believed there is an effort under way from JUI-F and PML-N to woo ANP into the coalition. The thought of the alliance has been perceived on the basis of the electoral power of each party – PML-N in Hazara, ANP is Peshawar, Charsadda, Nowshera, Swabi and the JUI-F’s vote bank in the south of K-P.

PTI is gearing up for an overhaul and those who are part of it already know it. Close to the elections many who came to be known only in 2013 fear that they will once again be pushed into obscurity. While PTI will push for maximum development in the last phase of its government in the province, the party is also aware of what its coalition partners are mulling over.

But the point is that it is not only PTI that is benefiting from the relationship. The relationship is purely symbiotic. Its arch rival ANP has also made little progress in terms of changing the perception of the people of the province because of its policies that seem to be more based on need than vision.

ANP’s fact-finding committee’s report, to determine the causes of its defeat in the last elections, still remains a buried document in spite of the party leadership saying that the document would be made public. There are few people within the party who even want to talk about it. ANP has only gained from the PTI’s immaturity, it has done nothing itself. It is an interesting game of chess, but on this board the players are many. Only the wise will get a turn to make their move. Subtlety is the key because this game begins with checkmate.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 13^th, 2016.