Daily Times

Bilawal Bhutto, the chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), has said that his party will only form a government if it forms a majority. His declaration to not join hands with Nawaz Sharif or be a part of his cabinet gives a whiff of true idealism that stands poles apart from the politics of conciliation that Senior Zardari has earned a reputation for.

Mr Bhutto’s statement comes as the political landscape in Pakistan is increasingly polarised ahead of the elections. Although the archrivals are both making strong claims to victory, the PPP’s decision to not be open to coalitions could have a significant impact on the outcome of the elections. As is the norm, political parties are forced to read the writing on the wall way ahead and carve out alliances to pull all wrinkles out of the carpet to the coveted seat.

There’s no denying that Mr Bhutto-Zardari has spoken as a true representative of the masses, taking pride in his own independence and relying on his commitment to principles for government. But these golden ideals rarely find themselves a good position on the ground.

The last few months have seen him picking enormous battles with the Machiavellian forces; taking prominent parties like the PML(N) to task and pressurising others to follow his lead on the campaign bandwagon. Between a clear-as-daylight position on the Iddat case, repeated calls for a level playing field and asking the voters to play centre-fielder, the youngest of the lot seems interested in a whole new game.

Millions of voters share his dilemma between the devil and the deep blue sea. Would chants upon chants of a new political culture actually go beyond February 8? While all parties seem interested in burying the culture of political vengeance and restoring civility to parliament, the determination of this crusade remains to be seen. To borrow words from Faiz Ahmed Faiz, “Chand roz aur…! Faqat chand hi roz.” *