Alliance of convenience

A scene from the previous PDM government is being reenacted. With Shehbaz Sharif staging his comeback as Prime Minister, and once again at the vanguard to stitch a fabric of convenience, political instability seems to be a constant in days ahead. This is so because the coalition with PPP and MQM will swing at the tail end of a simple majority, making the business of legislation and decision-making an arduous task. Coupled with this will be the irresistible pressure from PTI on the floor of the house and streets, alike, as a viable opposition, if the tribunals go on to dump their Forms 45, and push it to the wall. Moreover, to what extent can the beleaguered coalition pick up a sinking economy is anybody’s guess.

To further cripple the mosaic is the PPP’s decision not to accept cabinet slots, and move on with high constitutional offices. This is a recipe for bargaining in the long run, and will certainly plunge the PML-N in a crisis of sorts. It will have to lure back a well-entrenched PPP into day-to-day governance. Likewise, the MQM and other stakeholders in the coalition, will have their own wish-list too to cater.

The PML-N has made a poor choice, and that too after having tasted the sourness of governance for 16 months. The damage left behind by the uncompetitive PDM rule is engraved on the minds of people, and the backlash vote on February 8 is a case in point. Likewise, ruling Punjab with a wafer-thin majority is no less than holding together a house of cards, and Maryam’s amateur leadership will make it altogether difficult to navigate the tricky ends of Kautilya treatise.

There is no way out, nonetheless, as the Sharifs are obsessed with riding the tigers without any consideration for the slip side of the story. Thus the insurmountable tasks will be to deal with a maverick presidency of Asif Ali Zardari and keep the MQM happy for all times to come, if the intention is to stay afloat. Out of the parliament political voices this time around will be reverberating with more noises. The PTI can sit back to wait for the crumbling of cards.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 15^th, 2024.

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