Prime Minister Imran Khan has finally decided that offence is the best form of defence. The PPP is scheduled to start its anti-government march from Karachi to Islamabad on February 27 while the PDM is all set to prepare for its show of strength on March 23. Earlier this month the PM had warned his opponents that if he came out into the streets they would find no place to hide. Mr Khan hopes that his mass contact campaign would rouse the morale of his dispirited followers and deter possible desertions from the coalition. With public complaints against rising prices of commodities of daily use and utility charges becoming louder by the day, the PTI’s road show could turn out to be embarrassing. To test the waters Mr Khan has chosen relatively smaller towns in Punjab and KP rather than big cities.
On account of their traditional rivalry the two major opposition parties are keen to remove the PTI government in the way that suits each one’s politics best. The PPP has tried to win over the PML(Q) by offering it the chief minister’s slot at the expense of the PML(N) in return for a foothold in Punjab. It appears that the Chaudhries are not willing to oblige as long as there is no signal from the right quarters. The PML(N) is divided between the softliners who support a no-confidence move against the PM and hardliners who favour a mass movement. PML(N) patron Nawaz Sharif has tasked the party to work within the PDM to make the the Mehngai March successful while National Assembly Opposition Leader Shehbaz Sharif has been told to establish contacts with PTI dissidents and allies to ensure that a sufficient number of MNAs is available to support a no-confidence move. It also suits the PML(N) to bargain with MQM in return for some seats in Karachi at the PPP’s expense. But it appears that like the PML(Q), the MQM too is unwilling to commit till it receives a signal from those who matter. The only way left for the opposition is to join hands instead of taking out two separate marches. Mutual rivalry however continues to stand in the way.
