And changing ground realities
With PAT folding and PTI isolated, the dharnas may have fizzled out, but the political landscape has changed considerably, and continues to change. The N-league has been visibly defanged. Its front-footed posture towards certain institutions has disappeared, just like its venom for most opposition parties has diminished – it did, after all, need considerable political help to ‘save democracy’. And going by PTI jalsas especially, its position in its powerhouse Punjab is also weakening. That the PPP has chosen this time to (try to) resurrect its broken support base in Punjab is probably not coincidental.
With the Peoples Party’s Punjab structure in ruins after the last general election, it had to do some sort of restructuring sooner or later. And with the Sharifs weakened and the PTI gaining momentum, the party think-tank most likely calculated this was make-or-break time since alliances were shifting along with public sentiment. That, of course, meant catapulting Bilawal to the forefront. But along with rallying a dejected rank and file, the new chairman also upset political allies, and a parting of the ways with the MQM followed in Sindh. Now, that fallout has led to a spillover of its own, leading to machinations to unseat Khurshid Shah has leader of the opposition. There is talk, for example, of PTI members withdrawing resignations and burying the hatchet with MQM in a new novelty. Chances of such convergences of interest could present themselves more regularly as the chips fall into place.
Interestingly, the media has also started giving more space to talk of mid-term elections. Again, with the N-league suffering, PTI will press the initiative in such a scenario. The PPP too, fearful of losing more base as time passes, might well gamble on consolidating before more chunks fall off, and welcome a midterm poll. Zardari sahib has, after all, hinted that elections will take place when the PPP wants. There could well be more to Bilawal’s announcement of more processions to pressure the government than mere introduction to mainstream politics. Much could yet change in Pakistan’s charged political atmosphere.