With demoralisation spreading among PTI allies and party’s legislators, the government is keen to stop the opposition making use of it. The government has therefore extended an invitation to the opposition to hold talks on issues near to the latter’s heart like electoral and judicial reforms and the appointment of a new NAB chairman. Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry claims that the prime minister himself had invited the opposition to negotiate on these three issues. This is likely to be rejected by the opposition as a tactical overture. Had it been a serious move Imran Khan would have been personally leading the government team. Instead Mr Chaudhry has once again categorically reiterated that Mr Khan would not sit with any opposition leader, including Shehbaz Sharif. At a time when the Army is seen to have distanced itself from the ruling party, the PM would not like to send the message to those who matter that he is not hobnobbing with the opposition.
What adds to the worries of the ruling party is that after fighting against one another for a whole year, the opposition parties have ended, in the main, their differences over tactics aimed at overthrowing the government. Instead of insisting on prior resignations from the Assemblies, the PML(N) and JUI(F) have instead agreed to the PPP’s suggestion to work together for a no-confidence move against the government in the National Assembly. They know it is a long shot but consider it worth trying. Lacking the required numbers in the lower house, the opposition will have to lobby with the increasing number of dissidents in the PTI as well as its allies. The opposition leaders hope that due to the government’s unpopular economic policies, public pressure would force a number of PTI lawmakers as well others from the allied parties to join hands with the opposition.
To the PTI’s dismay, the issue of two marches on Islamabad can no longer be used to divide the opposition. As PPP chief Bilwal Bhutto Zardari has put it, the two different long marches would create more difficulties for the government. Many however still remain skeptical regarding the present display of unity among the opposition parties continuing for long.
