IN a latest twist of events, PPP has distanced itself from the
plan of JUI(F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman to march on Islamabad and hold a sit-in next month (October). Chairman of the Party Bilawal Bhutto Zardari argued on Wednesday that the PPP never joined the rallies of other parties. He, however, clarified that his Party would lend the JUI(F) leader their moral support.
We have been emphasizing in these columns that all elected governments should be allowed to work and deliver as people are the ultimate sufferers of the politics of leg-pulling. The opposition might have genuine grievances but these should be aired while remaining strictly within the parameters of democratic norms and no attempt should be made to destabilize the government or the system. If a wrong was committed in the past, it does not justify repetition of the politics of chaos and instability. All these things apart, it is also a fact that the present-day opposition is as fractured today as before and the announcement of Bilawal has once again confirmed that it lacked coherence and broad-based political approach. Different political parties and entities are pursuing self-centred politics and are hardly bothered about consensus decisions, strategies and principled-based politics. Differences and weaknesses of the opposition were exposed on the occasion of no-confidence motion against Chairman Senate and these are again quite visible. The announcement of Bilawal would also lend credibility to rumour mongering that the PPP was in contact with the Government for another NRO or deal.
