IT should be a matter of concern for the national leadership that the political activity is not gathering momentum despite indications by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to conduct the general election in January 2024. Apart from a new debate about possibility of further delay in polls, which has been triggered by successive statements of JUI(F) leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman, PML(N) is facing a daunting task of regaining the popularity it lost due to a series of measures that the coalition government took to avert a possible default. And the court proceedings as well as statements of former aides of ex-PM Imran Khan dampen prospects of the PTI participating in the electoral exercise as a force to be reckoned with.
The latest statement of PML(N) President and former Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif that the party supremo Mian Nawaz Sharif is returning home not to settle scores with those who conspired to topple his government but to address problems of the people is welcome as reconciliation is the need of the hour. We have been emphasizing in these columns, time and again, that no personality or party alone can pull the country out of the existing mess and all stakeholders will have to be taken on board. The caretaker set-up is trying its level best to set a clear direction for administration and economy of the country and the momentum will have to be maintained by its successor. However, the reputation, popularity and prospects of major political forces stand tarnished and blurred mainly because of their own follies and lack of clarity in their policies and approaches. There is no denying the fact that PTI leader Imran Khan has a popularity base in all parts of the country but it would be a Herculean task to translate this popularity into electoral gains and a return to power in the given clouded environment. He apparently erred and misjudged on a number of occasions, when there were bright chances for him and his party to save their political capital. Now the Party Chairman faces numerous cases, some of which are ripe for effective trial and the latest statement of his close aide Usman Dar that the planning for May 09 violence (aimed at ousting the Army Chief) was done at the Zaman Park residence of Imran Khan means the party is in for further trouble at a time when Cipher case is also moving ahead. As popularity of the PTI is linked exclusively to its Chairman, the fate of the leader would decide the fate of the electoral politics of the party which can still perform well in polls despite desertion of a number of important and influential persons if Imran Khan comes out unscathed in all the cases. As for PML(N), its leader Mian Nawaz Sharif has demonstrated capability of delivering as per expectations of the masses but at the moment, voters have not forgotten their sufferings caused by the actions of the PML(N)-led coalition government. It was, perhaps, because of this that the party so far has not been able to mobilize public opinion in a worthwhile manner in its favour despite fixation of a date for the return of its leader. It would not be fair to judge the popularity of the party solely on the yardstick of the number of people who gather to greet Mian Nawaz Sharif on October 21. Irrespective of the numbers, MNS can still influence the course of politics if he succeeds in giving a concrete and workable framework and roadmap to address challenges facing the country and provide much-needed relief to the people. The third major party – the PPP – also has good standing in Sindh and presence in other parts of the country at varying levels but not enough to clear its way to the national corridors of power. In the given environment and situation, if and when elections are held, these are unlikely to produce a strong and stable government and the experiment of coalition will have to be repeated. This will have serious restrictions on the ability of the elected government to deliver as per demands of the time and expectations of the people. Anyhow, nothing can be said with certainty as anything can happen anytime in a highly polarized society.
