Daily Times

It takes two to tango but what to do when one party refuses to acknowledge all others as worthy of its attention? PTI’s rogue approach when it comes to political negotiations has always drawn the ire of mainstream parties.

Today, when it stands on the fringes of being an absolute pariah and is willing to waste an impressive vote of confidence by the masses, the highheadedness continues. In a brazen continuation of the years-old refusal to get down off the shiny horse, the party leadership (whatever’s left of it) refuses to sit with other political forces.

As is apparent from a scathing presser by PPP-nominated governor Faisal Karim Kundi and PML(N)’s stalwart Musadik Malik, this refusal to engage in dialogue reflects a troubling trend within PTI, where the founder seems more interested in confrontation than compromise.

In a democracy, political negotiations are meant to be a two-way street, where all parties involved have the opportunity to express their viewpoints and come to a mutually beneficial agreement. The chequered past reflects that either the party shows a keen interest in tainting the neutrality of the state by endless rounds of naming and shaming or openly sends out “friendship” requests all the while turning a blind eye to its colleagues in the elected houses. There’s nothing in between.

We have long crossed the crossroads where such tactics were feared to establish a culture of hostility and division within the political sphere. The prevailing acrimony has cast the dye and there appears no semblance of civlity in the political discourse. The worrisome impacts on the pursuit of the opposition and the treasury to work together towards common goals and any hindrance to the progress of the country have also become a moot point.

What matters here is how a party, which claims to have a finger on the pulse of the nation, wishes to proceed henceforth. The olive branches are here for now but once this window also closes, would PTI look towards anarchy and chaos to fight its battles? Since the masses could only do so much, the ball now lies in the leadership’s court: what to do with the mandate? *