PPP and PML-N at it again
The PPP and PML-N have a lot in common. Both have formed governments at the centre multiple times which have some time been prematurely dissolved, neither are unfamiliar with the army’s ubiquitous influence and capacity to take over and by next year the PML-N is expected to complete a full five year term.
In the current political scenario the PML-N fares much better than the PPP and hopes to form government again after the elections. Is this the reason why PPP’s co-chairperson, Asif Ali Zardari has started making some uncharacteristically belligerent statements?
In an interview with a private TV channel the ex-president took no prisoners starting off with the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman asking “how dare he open cases against me”. Moving on to the government he reminded them that it doesn’t take long for change and in particular, without taking the current Interior Minister’s name, predicted that like the former Accountability Czar, Saif-ur-Rehman, he too would have to “touch my feet and beg for forgiveness”.
Sindh’s Chief Minister, Murad Ali Shah also resorted to a similar line by threatening to “throw out” federal agencies from the province after Sharjeel Memon was arrested by NAB upon his return. The government too has not been as forthcoming as the PPP would have desired, something that Khursheed Shah pointed out in the National Assembly when the PML-N used its majority to bulldoze Pakistan Commission of inquiry bill 2017 without hearing the views of the opposition who had just a day earlier supported the government in passing the bill to revive military courts.
The best way for the PPP leadership is to focus more on organising itself in Punjab which it has simply failed to do. Merely setting up shop in Lahore and giving hostile interviews won’t cut the mustard. The government also shouldn’t hold opposition parties to the wall by completely ignoring their concerns just because it controls the centre. Nawaz Sharif needs to take measures to remove the perception of PML-N government representing and benefiting Punjab alone.
