‘Fool me once’ : PPP-PML-N’s ‘fixed fight’ in the ring again

Muhammad Faheem, a car mechanic, found himself at the centre of an unexpected political analogy. As he hammered away at a dent, a fellow mechanic sought his support to convince a customer that his repair charges were fair.

The car owner turned to Faheem, and the other mechanic gave him a conspiratorial wink, signalling that Faheem should agree.

But Faheem, rather than going along, shook his head. What stunned the mechanic and the car owner were his words: “PPP and PML-N are enough to make fools out of people; we shouldn’t be adding to their stress.”

He then urged the mechanic to charge half the demanded amount, and the mechanic reluctantly agreed.

When asked about his reference to PPP and PML-N, Faheem shot back, “Haven’t you seen their ‘noora kushti’ [fixed fight] during budget days?” He then resumed his work, occasionally venting that the ruling parties treated people like fools, unable to see through their staged battles.

Faheem and many others believe the ruling parties’ supposed confrontations are calculated bluffs. The first round of ‘noora kushti’ between PPP and PML-N kicked off just before the coalition partners tabled a tax-heavy budget in the National Assembly. The squabble ended before the budget passed, leaving many to wonder if the smokescreen successfully fooled the public.

The answer, in short, is a resounding no. As the old adage goes, “You can fool all the people some of the time and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all of the time.” Political experts argue that these tactics are designed for public consumption, with the ultimate goal being the extraction of benefits.

‘Machiavellian politics’

Renowned political expert Professor Tahir Naeem Malik of NUML University describes the current situation as “Machiavellian politics,” where the main concern is “who gets what, when, and how.”

He noted that coalition partners like the PPP are usually focused on maximising their share by exerting pressure.

Professor Malik observed that PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and other party leaders were touching upon common people’s issues in their speeches, attempting to fill the void left by their key political rival, PTI founder Imran Khan’s imprisonment.

However, their efforts are falling flat as trying to play the opposition while holding constitutional offices does not add up.

“After taking the constitutional offices in response to helping PML-N form a government in the Centre and then trying to give an impression that you are also playing the role of the opposition, both things can’t go hand in hand,” the professor said.

He noted that instead of opposing taxes that burden the salaried class—whom the PPP has historically supported—the party has helped the government pass the budget, “compromising” on its economic principles.

“Common people know very well what these parties have been doing these days,” he added.

He, however, regretted that such deceptive tactics would continue, with allied parties exerting pressure and pretending to fight for public benefit while actually seeking “maximum benefits” for themselves.

Political analyst Majid Nizami told The Express Tribune that the PPP was busy proving its distinct identity despite being part of the ruling coalition, which is why it was opposing PML-N policies.

Punjab, being a crucial electoral battleground, is another reason for this opposition, as PPP seeks to carve out space in the region by challenging PML-N.

However, Nizami said that PPP and PML-N resorted to a fixed fight as they have learnt from their past mistakes, especially, after they signed the Charter of Democracy. He felt that these two parties are in agreement that political fights shouldn’t go beyond a certain point, saying that is why PTI labels it ‘noora kushti’ or politics of ‘muk muka’ [underhand deal].

Nizami didn’t think that PPP could create more difficulties for PML-N as changing the current alliances at the moment was not possible. “We can’t imagine that PPP and PTI can form a government right now; it’s near to impossible,” Nizami said, “circumstances demand that PPP and PML-N will have to stay together for now.”

Comparing the PPP and PML-N situation with PPP and MQM-P, Nizami said that they often remained at loggerheads with each other but also continued working together as well because they both have different vote banks in Sindh.

Similarly, he added, PPP and PML-N can work together despite taking a different stance on issues but the only problem is that the PPP can’t create a vote bank or space for itself without opposing PML-N in Punjab. Thus, he said, the mud-fight would continue.