PPP, PTI so near yet so far

ISLAMABAD: Prospects of even a cosmetic teamwork between the two key political forces - Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) – against the Nawaz Sharif government have vanished as they are at each other’s throats instead of collaboration in the wake of the Supreme Court judgment in the Panama case.

In the heart of his hearts, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will be rejoicing the deafening war of words that intensified between the PTI and PPP after the critical judicial ruling.

Apparently, the two parties face the compulsion of not breaking bread even at this crucial time despite the fact that both believe that the premier has landed in a deep soup because of the court verdict and their campaign can unnerve him more. But they fear that their public support will ratchet down if they joined forces.

Through their own styles and methods, the PTI and PPP want to ramp up pressure on the prime minister to step down but unless it is combined it will not work. They also ignore the fact that the intensified fight between them will help none of them in any way to achieve any meaningful objective against the premier.

In the post-judgment interlude, the PPP has taken upon itself to equally harangue the PML-N and PTI while the PML-N has been condemned to respond to their attacks. Similarly, the PTI has treated it as its pristine duty to take on the PML-N and PPP in the same vein with the hope that it will produce dividends.

Thus the rancorous scramble involves these three prominent political players with their eyes set on securing maximum gains in the 2018 general election as a result.

Ironically, both the PTI and PPP share their leading demand that the prime minister should quit because of the Panama case ruling. They are also on the same wavelength in dismissing the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) being formed on the orders of the apex court. But their independent politics comes in their way to work in partnership. A fractured opposition is benefitting the government. This is the dreamy advantage that the PML-N is getting.

There is no other worthwhile and weighty opposition party exerting any credible pressure on the prime minister to bow out. The Jamaat-e-Islami is walking the tight rope and is not going overboard in vigorously highlighting any such demand. It had worked hard to get something out of the Panama hearings but what it has been blessed with is anybody’s guess. Despite being a partner of the PTI in the coalition government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), it has always taken an independent line on most national issues and has never tried not to rock the boat.

On the other side of the aisle, the premier finds many supporters of his stand on the Panama decision. The Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), National Party and Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party fully back him and feel that demanding Nawaz Sharif’s resignation and rejection of the JIT run counter to the court verdict.

Immediately after the Panama ruling was handed down, the PPP-PTI verbal clash was unleashed. Zardari fired the first solvo when he said that the PPP had asked Imran Khan to join it and do legislation and then take the Panama matter to the court. “But you did not listen because you have never been to jail and don’t know how judges work, how justice works. I am disappointed by Imran Khan leaving us and going to the top court alone. If Aitzaz Ahsan had stood there and argued against the Sharif family, the decision might have been different. . .”

The PPP chief also counseled the PTI chairman to learn politics from him because he did not have much political acumen and experience and did not know the complex field as he (Zardari) did.

This was more than enough to sway Imran Khan into retaliating in a hard-hitting manner. He chose Dadu, Sindh, to respond where the new entrant of his party, Liaquat Jatoi, has organized a public rally to mark his joining.

“You have achieved what no military dictator could do. You turned Pakistan’s biggest political party, created and popularized by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, into a small one. You said Imran Khan does not possess political acumen. I pray to Allah that He may never give me a political sense like your’s. I am coming after you in Sindh,” the PTI chief said and accused him of unparalleled corruption and employing police and ruffians to suppress the ordinary people and to forcefully acquire sugar mills.

Thus, Imran Khan is again on a solo flight like the past. However, the political scenario is fundamentally different from what it was back in 2014. Then, he had thousands of dedicated and committed followers of Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT), being led by their chief Allama Tahirul Qadri, at his back. This kind of unquestionable camaraderie is no longer available. His prolonged sit-in at the D-Chowk had tremendously benefited from the presence of the PAT activists. Many other factors that favoured the PTI chief at the time are also missing now.