Every election season comes with a series of budding romances and ugly breakups. On Tuesday, a surprising alliance was announced between PML(N) and MQM, which could only be understood as a move to counter PPP’s influence in Sindh. Speculations about a four-party coalition to take the reins of Sindh and swirling talks with IPP on top of securing a foolproof formula in Balochistan point to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif having done his homework well in advance. From showing a willingness to bury the hatchet to landing in the ring laced with strategic bonhomie all the way to firing up old rivalries, he is fast checking all boxes. The ball has now landed in the Zardari camp and while time will reveal his set of partnerships, for now, his party leadership seems busy poking holes in the grand agenda. That Mr Sharif is being treated as the new blue-eyed boy on the block remains the crux of their campaign. The merits of his political sagaciousness aside, it would be extremely naive to assert that any party holds the sway needed to clean-sweep the upcoming polls. So while calls for a level playing field and true respect for democracy deserve great attention, anyone who wishes to assume a greater share in the political chessboard would do well to abide by the underlying realities. Although they may like to dismiss the brewing developments as a joining together of strange bedfellows, how would they defend their own share in the grand umbrella? At the end of the day, political forces would have to learn from history and draw out the rules of the political game once and for all. No undermining of the public interest should be entertained in the name of the provision of space to each other for the cause of democracy. *