Too many loose ends
It seems Asif Zardari has some more fire-fighting to do before things can get any better for PPP. He has just kept fights in Punjab from getting out of control, diffused the Amin Faheem situation, and even inaugurated Asia’s largest water filtration plant in Thar. The London Christmas photograph, too, did a decent enough job of countering rumours about a widening cleavage with Bilawal. And he’d only just started getting comfortable in mainstream politics once again – facilitating consensus on military courts, for example, at the last APC – that chairman BIlawal tweeted the rift out in the open once again.
“Parliament cuts its nose to spite its face” is pretty serious language about the 21st Amendment, especially if you consider the chronology. First Aitzaz said the party would back military courts only if the constitution was not fiddled with. Then Zardari won points for stressing their need at the APC. Then Raza Rabbani said the Amendment made him cry just as Khurshid Shah said it was the darkest hour of his political life. And then Bilawal put the cherry on the cake with his ill- or will-timed tweet – depending on the intention.
That party spokespersons continue to stay vague in such circumstances does it little good. The near-rebellion in Punjab spoke volumes about the pressure on the membership – people are leaving not just because of PTI’s pull, but also because of a regrettable push from the party. If there are differences all the way from the rank and file to the very top of the leadership ladder, then they must debate these reservations in a democratic environment, at least within party circles. If the party fractures further, it will not only make managing Sindh that much more difficult, but will also litter the national political scene at a very important time. Dealing with difference of opinion by suppressing it – as has been normal practice in Pakistani politics since time immemorial – will also amount to cutting the nose to spite the face, and there might not be much left to salvage, by either father or son. It’s best if PPP ties its loose ends now before more embarrassment comes out in the open.
