- PTI should review rigid stance on PPP electoral alliance
The recent Senate Chairman election paid rich dividends for the apparently one-time-only PPP-PTI partnership, though the PTI still felt obliged to present oblique excuses for what it regarded as an ‘unholy alliance’. The primary goal of preventing the PML-N candidate from gaining the coveted seat was well achieved, but obviously Asif Zardari’s shrewd behind the scenes wheeling-dealing also played its part in the victory. Now that both parties’ hats are in the ring for leader of opposition in the Senate, there is uncertainty as to how the friction and bitterness generated thereby would impact possibility of a PTI-PPP alliance in the much wider canvas of the general elections. With a possible hung parliament in the offing in 2018, would cold realpolitik or ideological divide prevail, when the mouth-watering first prize is forming the new government?
Imran Khan finds himself in a bind. For him, Zardari’s friendship will amount to ‘fiendship’ among his disillusioned supporters, already alienated by some of the dubious ‘latelings’ joining the party and confound their key anti-corruption concept, apart from the possible threat of a later stab in the back posed by Zardari. The PPP’s alliance limitations, however, are of far greater consequence: its diehard supporters retain a knee-jerk hatred of Nawaz Sharif for his intimate connection with Gen Zia ul Haq and mean-spirited treatment of Benazir Bhutto, and the fatal net result of Zardari’s reconciliation policy with the PML-N has been the wiping out of PPP in the Punjab. The dreaded commonality for both Imran and Zardari is that the Mian may be down, but he is not yet out, and the PML-N has won nearly every by-election since his disqualification. The mere thought of a vindictive and unforgiving Nawaz back in the saddle even as an eminence grise, should be sufficient to soften ideological stubbornness and deep-seated personal aversions. But so far Imran has ruled out a coalition government with PPP, although Khursheed Shah, Zardari’s mouthpiece, is game for seat adjustment and an election alliance. Politics has variously been called the art of the possible and the science of surprises, and ultimately, realism always triumphs.
