Election talk

In a recent interview, former president and senior PTI leader Dr Arif Alvi once again emphasised the importance of political dialogue, saying his party would welcome negotiations over future elections. This statement comes alongside PTI Senator Azam Swati’s remarks suggesting ongoing behind-the-scenes contact with the establishment – a dialogue that he said could see progress upon Alvi’s return to Pakistan. Taken together, these statements point to a two-pronged political strategy by the PTI: on the one hand, seeking rapprochement with the establishment; on the other, attempting to build bridges with opposition parties like the JUI-F. Whether this balancing act will prove shrewd or self-defeating remains to be seen. Already, there are signs of friction. The JUI-F, through Senator Kamran Murtaza, has publicly questioned the PTI’s intentions, demanding clarity on its engagement with the establishment. The concern is understandable. The PTI, if serious about building a credible political alliance, must decide whether it wants to engage as part of the political mainstream or continue to hedge its bets by seeking favour from interventionist power centres.

Political observers have also rightly pointed out that PTI’s current strategy risks isolating it on both fronts. If the establishment refuses to engage – as it has done in recent months – and opposition parties decline to join hands due to mistrust, then the PTI stands to lose the opportunity to form a meaningful alliance capable of exerting pressure on the government. History offers a lesson here. After the 2018 elections, the opposition parties, including the PML-N, PPP and JUI-F, formed the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), a coalition that significantly weakened the PTI-led government. It was through the PDM platform that the opposition managed to secure a surprise victory in the Senate polls of 2021, and ultimately ousted the PTI government in 2022. The strength of that movement came not from any institutional backing but from political unity and shared purpose. The PTI would do well to study that playbook. The party's December 2023 decision to agree to dialogue with the government was a positive step, signalling a shift towards democratic norms. However, the gains made then risk being squandered if the party once again prioritises backdoor dealings over public political consensus. If Dr Alvi and other PTI leaders truly want the next elections to be transparent and fair, they must push for open dialogue with political parties, not covert discussions with any other power centres. This is why Dr Alvi’s statements would carry more credibility if they were part of a broader call for political consensus and not couched within speculation of resumed ties with unelected power brokers.

It is also important to remember the larger context. The last two general elections have been marred by widespread allegations of rigging and manipulation. The persistence of a hybrid system has eroded public trust in the electoral process. If this continues unchallenged, future elections may become even more controversial and less credible. It is precisely this crisis of legitimacy that all political actors, including the PTI, must work together to resolve. The road forward requires unity among political parties – not grudging alliances of convenience, but a shared commitment to democratic norms. PTI’s political strength lies not in who it can win over behind closed doors, but in how it can rally public and parliamentary support to ensure the next elections are genuinely free and fair. Will it try democracy or continue to gamble on a system that has repeatedly failed Pakistan?