The PTI’s political maneuvering to secure the leader of the opposition position is likely deliberately timed to put the party in an advantageous position ahead of next year’s general elections. The government is constitutionally bound to seek the approval of the leader of the opposition before choosing the heads of important bodies like the National Accountability Bureau and the make-up of the caretaker government. The tenure of the current NAB Chairman Qamar Zaman Chaudhry ends on October 10 and the PTI will want its candidate in place before then. The PPP and the incumbent leader of the opposition Khursheed Shah may be able to more easily reach an agreement with the PML-N to ensure the smooth transition of power. The PTI has always been a maximalist party and is sure to cause a stand-off with the government over appointments should it succeed in its gambit.
After a week of politicking, the PTI is close to having the numbers to replace Khursheed Shah. It already has the support of Sheikh Rashid, independent MNA Jamshed Dasti and will probably secure the four MNAs of the Jamaat-e-Islami. On Tuesday, a PTI delegation led by Shah Mehmood Qureshi met with Farooq Sattar and other leaders of the MQM-Pakistan to try and get their support. Ironic as it may be for the PTI to seek the assistance of a party it had denounced in the past as terroristic in nature, the MQM-P would give the PTI the numbers it needs to depose Khursheed. In principle, the MQM has agreed on the need for a new leader of the opposition, although it did not pledge support to any specific candidate and one must remember that the support from the MQM can also be rather uncertain.
The only stumbling block the PTI can now face is the PTI itself. Reports are emerging that the party is divided on who from within the party should become the next leader of the opposition. Originally it was assumed that Shah Mehmood Qureshi, who is the PTI’s parliamentary leader, would take over. Now, though, there are signs of a lack of unity within its ranks, with a group close to Jehangir Tareen reported to be especially opposed to Qureshi. This faction would prefer Imran Khan to take over. The argument goes that, as party chief, Imran himself should take over as leader of the opposition. The choice would be a curious one. We have seen that Imran prefers to stay outside of parliament and would rather have someone else speak for him. Imran also has one of the worst attendance records of any parliamentarian and never seems to be able to show up for important votes and addresses. The job of the leader of the opposition is to negotiate with the government and Imran is not one for deliberation and dialogue. If the PTI must insert itself in the spot, it needs to do so in a democratic spirit to keep our system running rather than to create another logjam for a government it is hoping to replace.