FORMER ruling party, the PTI, has all along been averse to the idea of having any dialogue with other major parties dubbing them corrupt and thieves but latest reports indicate the party is seriously considering reviewing its policy in this regard. Media reports, quoting a party leader, say a chapter on ‘healing the politics’ has been included in the party manifesto. On the other hand, PML(N) and PPP, despite signing the Charter of Democracy (CoD) have resumed the same old tactics against each other, polluting the national political atmosphere further.
The PTI is in deep trouble because of its own follies as it shut up doors for talks on other political forces, miscalculated the ground situation and committed political blunders. It is facing the same situation as experienced by the PML(N) and to some extent PPP before, during and after the 2018 elections. It, however, remains a potent political force as its vote bank is not only intact but, analysts believe, increased due to harsh decisions taken by the coalition government during its tenure. It would be unrealistic on the part of the three major parties to go for solo flights as the kind of problems and challenges facing Pakistan cannot be handled by a single party. All political parties are free to forge alliances or seek seat adjustment with other like-minded parties but this should be done on merit and not because of lust for power. The first and foremost thing that the parties and their leaders need to do is to stop hurling baseless accusations against one another and start doing principled-based politics. Presently, instead of sharing their plans and road-maps with the masses, they are engaged in leg-pulling of others, relying heavily on baseless propaganda. The country cannot progress satisfactorily and problems of the people would remain there until and unless focus of the parties shifts to identification of real issues and their strategies to address them as per expectations of the people. Almost all parties remain in power either at the centre or in the provinces, therefore, they should contest polls on the basis of their performance and ability to deliver.
