Politics and bedfellows
PTI cajoling MQM, and the latter gleefully hosting the former in Karachi, would have been an outright impossibility not too long ago. But eating one’s words for personal, especially political, gain is hardly a novelty in our neck of the woods. Once PTI eyed the opposition leader’s slot, the U-turn on alleged extortionists, murderers, etc, was all fair game as the end always justifies the means in our peculiar brand of democracy. But Imran Khan could have done his homework better. It turns out that not only might there not be enough push in the move to unseat Khurshid Shah – PML-Q and JI not playing along, apparently – but PTI itself is split down the cenrtre on the issue.
There is, to be fair, more than a grain of truth in PTI’s allegations about Shah’s soft opposition, PPP providing relief to PML-N on occasion, and of course the possibility of collusion in installing a caretaker setup. Yet the days when the two parties could play together are clearly behind us. Nawaz sought Zardari’s advice again when the Panama scandal broke – just like the dharna days when Zardari recommended calling the joint session of parliament – but the PPP co-chairman was clearly not interested. He did not even meet the then prime minister. And PTI did not initiate such moves when the collusion was pretty blatant. No doubt, having felt the sting of ECP, Imran wants more say in crucial appointments, like the new NAB chairman as Qamar Zaman’s term ends on 10 October.
As parties move their pieces for and against Shah, the fact that the parliamentary machinery mobilises more in favour of political big shots than to legislate for the people once again presents itself. The defenders of democracy – government and most shades of opposition – only grace the House for their own political interests. Whether to decide the fate of a disqualified PM or to unseat the sitting opposition leader, politics indeed makes strange bedfellows in Pakistan. And the people, as always, become relevant only for that small window when voting takes place.