PML-N’s woes and the politics of making alliances

The embittered Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) is attempting to extricate itself of problems through outright political assault on the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).  How can the party achieve this objective is not plainly clear. However, for now it is trying to go for a grand opposition alliance to challenge the federal government.

Beset by the surging Pakistan Tehrik-e Insaf (PTI) in Punjab, the stronghold of the PML-N, the N leadership believes it is through mounting pressure on the PPP that can unburden the party. The layers of intrigue surround the politics as PTI makes further inroads into central Punjab.

While the PTI intends to hold a massive rally against the PML-N in Punjab on 30^th of this month, the PML-N is disposed to intensify its anti-government movement, called ‘Go Zardari Go’ campaign. The PML-N has already held rallies in this regard in different parts of Punjab.

It believes it is the federal government that is overtly and covertly backing its emerging bitter ally, PTI.  PML-N’sconcern is that if PTI continues to gain more popularity, the PML-N may lose its power base in Punjab. Although it does not openly state the issue, the challenge may well be credible for it.

There will understandably be more resentment within the PML-N ranks after the otherwise soft-spoken premier Raza Gillani’s blunt statement wherein he attributed the PMLN-N’s belligerence against the PPP due to the growing popularity of PTI.

Thus easily-provoked PML-N is out to inflict retribution. PML-N’s attempts to oust president Asif Ali Zardari have so far failed to attract much attention, or any support.  On Tuesday, October 25, the Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif tried to obtain other opposition parties support for the campaign against the PPP.

“The Muslim League-N will welcome cooperation from any person who is ready to support the efforts to get rid of the oppressive and corrupt government,” Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said.

There is a problem, however. If the PML-N thinks that it can woo Jamat-e Islami  (JI) – which is a big pressure force, in forming an alliance against the PPP, JI has a lot to answer to PTI. The two parties – PTI and JI -are ideologically and politically on the same page. Previously, the two parties had the history of boycotting the 2008 elections.  Thus even this alliance apparently seems uncertain.

Naturally, the PML-N is desperately trying to look for more dependable force. It, therefore, remains no perplexing a mystery why it is trying to go as far as Balochistan and Sindh to find a new ally against the PPP.

Short URL: https://www.newspakistan.pk/?p=1650

Posted by Sajjad Hussain on Oct 26 2011. Filed under Opinion. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry