The opposition conglomerate Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) on Sunday held its first power show in Karachi since it parted ways with the Pakistan People Party (PPP). Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) Chief and PDM head Maulana Fazalur Reham, Pakistan Muslim League-N supremo Nawaz Sharif, PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif, and other leaders addressed the gathering at the Bagh-e-Jinnah in Karachi. While PDM’s claim of setting up 100,000 chairs for the participants was seen with scepticism, the event attracted a considerable number of people. “A special branch report put the number between 15,000 and 17,000, while police report that between 18,000 and 20,000 people are attending.
If one is to believe the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), especially its leader Maulana Fazlur Rahman, then the combined opposition movement got held back by a few months because of “hot and humid weather” and because it was “stabbed in the back by PPP (Pakistan People’s Party),” but now that the weather’s a little better and PPP is out, they are ready to hold rallies up and down the country once again to restore “true democracy” in Pakistan. But the government, which did find cause to worry a little when PDM first took off, doesn’t appear too concerned anymore. In fact, the few ministers that have commented on the Movement’s latest ideas have been more inclined to laugh it off than be intimidated by it.
A more likely, and far more believable, explanation is that, having tried just about everything and still failed in toppling the government, the parties that are still part of PDM seem to have decided in favour of these tactics to stay relevant, in any way possible, till the election. The fact is that when the alliance was initially cobbled together it did manage to surprise many onlookers, including the government, because its strongest parties were bitter rivals of the past who had, for all intents and purposes, decided to bury the hatchet in favour of the one-point agenda of sending the government packing. Together they were able to gather large crowds in many cities across the country and give political pundits much to think about.
The PDM seems to have come together for Senate elections and to have broken up as soon as the PPP failed to get its candidate elected as chairman. It was also perhaps too much to expect the PML (N) and the PPP, which have been opposed to one another, but which are expecting to be rivals at the next election too, to remain together for too long. The PML (N)’s indecision over what position to adopt towards the establishment, symbolized by the respective positions of President Shehbaz Sharif and Vice-President Maryam Nawaz, was also no help.
The PPP found itself having to achieve its own understanding with the establishment, which means that it no longer put its full force behind the PDM. Also, the PPP was the only PDM component with a stake, as it was in government in Sindh, and was least likely to follow the clamour of resignations from the Assembly. This tactic is still on the table, according to Maulana, who is not in any House himself.
However, the PPP may find it needs the PDM to deal with the challenge it faces in its home base, Sindh. It has now been in office there since 2008, and for the first time faces a serious challenge, as the PTI intends to extend its footprint to interior Sindh, having already successfully dented the MQM at the last election. If Sindh does become up for grabs, what is to stop the PML (N) from seeking some advantage in the process? If instead of the support it could expect from an alliance partner, it was to face a political rival out to do the best for itself. Opposition unity might still be a far cry, but it would seem that the current move shows that the opposition parties still need unity to face down the current government.
