It was a day of political crisscross, wherein the opposition and the treasury kept everyone guessing. The show belonged to the MQM, which has surprised everyone by detailing too much on the terms and conditions it wanted to grab from either side. It, however, showed its cards as it aligned itself with the opposition and called it a day with the government. It went on to formally attain resignations from the ministers’ duo from the federal cabinet. Yet, the guesswork is on, as many believe another somersault is in the making, as the MQM may reconsider its decision to quit the ruling dispensation. But one thing is for sure, this week’s long leg-pulling has bred uncertainty and plunged the country into crisis. It, nonetheless, is an open theatre until the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan is put to vote in the National Assembly.
The government is hopeful that it will manage to mend fences with the estranged members of its party as well as the allies who have literally abandoned it, with the exception of the PML-Q. But what made the political heat evident on Wednesday was the thunder from Prime Minister Imran, and his decision to share sections of a letter allegedly received from a foreign country with the media. This is where the fault-lines are located. It has sent shivers down the spine, as the Establishment doesn’t seem to be on the same page with the chief executive, at least on this piece of detailing. But as far as the ruling dispensation is concerned, it knows it has been pushed to the wall and it thinks it has every right to boast the trump card as a last resort. The advice from certain quarters to present the letter for scrutiny and debate in an in-camera session of the parliament, as well as with the National Security Council, is worth pondering, and one hopes better sense will prevail over political jingoism on both sides of the divide.
As far as the province of Punjab having a new chief executive in the form of Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi is concerned, it too seems to be in rough waters. The counter-claim from the opposition that it has the required numbers to form its own government in the country biggest and most important province too has put it in a nail-biting situation. The opposition is playing its card very consciously, and is trying its best to keep the scoreboard ticking for attaining the magic digit of 172 in the National Assembly.
As they say the game of cricket is not over until the last ball is bowled, and played too, the government under Skipper Khan is standing resolute to clinch the day. The verdict from the Supreme Court on defectors, the broadside dialogue still underway with the allies, and the invisible inertia in our system is quite capable of swinging surprises. That is why Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid seemed confident and upbeat, as he knows by virtue of his experience that politics is all about give and take. The decision by the Prime Minister to defer his address to the nation and take the letter to parliament is a welcome step. It will help buoy democratic traditions and mellow the rainbow of tension.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 31st, 2022.
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