PDM and the future

For a short while, the PDM, which not too many weeks ago had appeared to have turned into a forum with no relevance, gained some semblance of new life with opposition leader Shahbaz Sharif making efforts to talk to parliamentary leaders of the parties of the alliance. Shahbaz Sharif is known for his politics of careful, studied diplomacy. And it is to be seen how he uses this in the case of the PDM. While Bilawal Bhutto Zardari did not attend the dinner hosted by the leader of the opposition, the PPP did send in a delegation. However, the feeling of a return to bonhomie was short-lived since it seems not everyone in the PML-N is on the proverbial same page regarding what the dinner meant. While the Shahbaz Sharif was seen as an effort at rapprochement by most political observers, PML-N leader Maryam Nawaz has said that the dinner was meant to devise an opposition strategy for the budget session. Add to this Shahid Khaqan Abbasi’s talk to the media that the PPP must apologise for ‘breaking the trust’ of the rest of the PDM, and it seems things are not well in the land of the opposition. For now, the PDM – minus the PPP – will be meeting separately this week to decide future course of action. At the same time, PML-N leaders have also said, though, that they want all parties to unite once again against the government. What will happen on this front is essentially up to Shahbaz and the PPP leaders.

Perhaps what will worry the PTI the most is the suggestion that the Tareen Group or members of the group may be invited to join the PDM. This will certainly create a flurry, particularly at the provincial level in Punjab. The PTI insists it faces no problems and will continue to pursue its agenda of justice. Where this agenda is leading is something the ruling party needs to answer. Despite the multiple accountability and corruption cases it has filed in all kinds of courts, the concern of people remains the high inflation rate, high unemployment, and their inability to make ends meet. It is these factors that the PDM will seek to take advantage of. If Jehangir Tareen lends a hand, the alliance would obviously gain strength. We will also need to see if the Chaudhry Nisar factor comes into play at some point. While the former interior minister has been denied the right to take oath in Punjab for now, this could change as he challenges the matter in court.

Things then are becoming a little more complex. The PTI has yet to show its ability to deliver the governance that people demand. This could be the factor that plays best into the hands of the PDM, despite the rifts within the alliance itself. Shahbaz Sharif, a leader who has in the past depended mainly on negotiation, diplomacy, and support from key quarters, will also need to show what type of leadership he intends to follow and what this means for the more vocal parts within the PML-N, led by Maryam Nawaz.