For over three years the PTI government has advised the nation not to feel uneasy while promising good times ahead. Taking attention away from the overall picture of the economy, it pledged improvement in people’s living conditions on the basis of single economic indicators like rise in large scale manufacturing, improvement in exports, increase in foreign remittances and better crops. As prices continued to rise it was said that Pakistan still fared better than other countries in managing the price hike. Now that the situation is becoming precarious and the opposition is trying to bring a no-confidence move the government maintains that with petroleum prices rising internationally, it cannot resolve inflation and prices are bound to increase. There is no more talk of good times ahead. Surging inflation and tumbling currency belie promises to end instability.
Meanwhile the government is adamant not to have talks with “corrupt” opposition leaders to reduce the intensity of an ongoing political confrontation. There are instead threats. Speaking after the cabinet meeting Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry threatened to put the opposition leaders behind bars before the no-trust move. Punjab CM Buzdar challenged the opposition to do whatever it liked as the government was in any case going to complete its tenure.
After a round of talks with the government allies, the opposition alliance is trying to woo the dissidents in the ruling party to support its no confidence move. The rise in govt-opposition confrontations would add to the political uncertainty engulfing the country. The opposition is confident of enlisting the support of the required number of legislators to get no-confidence motion passed.
Side by side the no-confidence move, the opposition is preparing to launch countrywide marches to put pressure on government’s allies and dissidents to support the it The PPP has already announced a ten-day long march from Karachi to Islamabad passing through 26 cities of Sindh and Punjab. This would force the opposition alliance to match and even improve upon the PPP’s performance. The heightened confrontation would have repercussions for the system. This should make the government and the opposition have second thoughts, reduce the confrontation and hold talks for a way out.
