Flexibility on both sides
President Zardari’s arrival in Lahore should help resolve some of the crucial issues related to the forthcoming elections. These include an agreement between the government and opposition on the caretaker setup. The PPP is wary of appointing any technocrat to the federal slot while Chaudhry Nisar has announced a consensus between the opposition parties on two retired judges though the PTI is not apparently a part of the agreement. In Sindh, the PML-F claims its nominee enjoys the support of the majority of opposition legislators in the assembly and should be declared the leader of the opposition. It has accused the PPP of having concluded a secret agreement with the MQM to send the later to the opposition benches and then have a caretaker setup of the two parties’ choice. With the dismissal of the Balochistan CM and the assembly being in a state of limbo, it is being suggested that the federal government wants to hand over the slot of the opposition leader to JUI-F allowing the two parties to have a caretaker CM of their choice. Baloch Senator Hasil Bizenjo has meanwhile warned that the outcome would be disastrous. With the nationalists thus sidelined, extremists would attract fresh cadre to their fold. The acting President of BNP-Mengal has expressed similar apprehensions. Any decision about the leader of the opposition in Balochistan, therefore, needs to be taken with extreme care. The PPP wants elections to the national and provincial assemblies to be held on the same day. For this it has to talk to the PML-N which rules the largest province of the country.
The 20th amendment requires the prime minister and the leader of the opposition to play a crucial role in the appointment of the caretaker PM. The exercise has to be completed before March 16 when the constitutional tenure of the NA ends. The PPP has reached certain understandings with TMQ leader Tahirul Qadri. If implemented, these could delay the elections until June which has been opposed by many in the opposition.
With Zardari back home the process to settle the outstanding issues with the PML-N needs to be hastened. What is required is flexibility on both sides.
