It’s become a bad habit
This time it’s the Mirpur by-election where the PTI radar has picked up typical PML-N/PPP muk-muka. And interestingly, this time the party caught the scent not after the result was declared, but even before the votes were cast. The reason for the brilliant deduction seems the N-league withdrawing its candidate in favour of the Peoples Party’s, which of course changed the dynamics for Barrister Sultan Mehmood Ch, who was the sitting member of the legislative assembly till he crossed over to PTI and vacated the seat.
Imran, again, is convinced that such last minute give-and-take occurs because the ‘status quo parties’ are scared of PTI’s advances. It is definitely not, if you ask him, a kind of political chess that the more experienced parties tend to play to protect and enhance their representation across democratic platforms. In that Khan only exposes his own limited understanding of politics and, indeed, democracy. Of course the Charter of Democracy – which is another of PTI’s favourite punching bags – was spun out of political necessity, and the political players did what they had to survive the exclusion of the Musharraf years. And If Imran is really the feared new force, then he must consider strategies that will overtake both traditional heavyweights. A change that is frustrated by maneuverings of the old guard should not claim to be a revolution.
And, importantly, was it not muk-muka, or at least an attempt at it, when Ch Sarwar was mobilised to gather support for PPP’s ‘Punjabi candidate’ ahead of the Senate election? Or was that particular episode simply an exercise in political expediency? Also, why the mystery surrounding the judicial commission? Was there really some last minute give-and-take, as sections of the press have questioned? If not, why not spell out the fine points of the agreement? The PTI seems to be turning its momentum the wrong way. That it has popular support, and that its rank and file is committed to fighting the ‘status quo’, can no longer be doubted. But where it takes its energy is open to question. So far, Khan sb has taken to politics of confrontation and ignored the institution’s productive potential. That does not bode well for his party, especially Chief Minister Khattak and his team. It’s time the party fights its fights within the system; which is, after all, what a political party is made to do.
