Just like old days
At least, when put to the test, the so called Charter of Democracy lasted a political cycle-and-a-half. Sure, the N-league created its fair shares of potholes in PPP’s way not too long ago when the latter was in power, but it was clear that nobody was going for the jugular. The perception strengthened after the ’13 elections, and was cemented when PPP put its weight behind the government during the dharna days. But the warmth has been clearly fading for the past few months, and the Karachi Operation, PIA privatisation controversy, and now the head-to-head at Kotli – where a PPP worker was killed – seemed to have turned the situation around altogether.
So, is it really back to ‘politics of the ‘90s’ as Asif Zardari put it? Surely the two parties have realised well by now how the confrontation weakened them both, besides diverting time and attention from more important matters – which the public at large will notice more readily now because of the media. Also, the spectrum is now wider since the time when Gen Musharraf’s iron grip forced PPP and PML-N into the Charter alliance. PTI will turn the spotlight on their politics of vendetta, if it gets to that, just as much as it squeezed the ‘muk muka’ to its advantage.
Yet going by recent developments there is little likelihood of a thaw anytime soon. The leadership of both parties is getting more aggressive with every exchange, and the interior minister’s personal, provocative touch is not helping matters. Back in the PPP days, the ruling party at least bothered to show up in the House, so a minimal exchange on important matters was possible on a frequent basis. But since the ‘successful transition of democracy’ the N-league has not graced parliament very often. The only time they packed the House was when they called the joint session, and pleaded for PPP support. There is an urgent need for de-escalation before the confrontation gets any worse. And unless saner counsel prevails on both sides, we may indeed drift back into the politics of the ‘90s, to nobody’s benefit.