Daily Times

The ongoing political engineering which is dividing and disintegrating political parties can only lead to chaos and confusion in the country. Larger, stronger parties are being divided into smaller political groups, or being deprived of their stalwarts. Some of these parties were once supported by the establishment itself.

While the old kings are thrown out, some are in the process of crafting the future’s political discourse. All this is being done in the name of ‘the people’, who remain indifferent to the actual objectives of the ‘king-makers’. Throughout this country’s history, regimes have come and gone, but the fate of the people has remained unchanged. However, the interests of the strategic powers have always been protected. This is no secret.

A lot has been written on targeted political engineering, social segregation, and professional perverseness which are hallmarks of this country’s democracy. However, it all seems to have fallen on deaf ears. Perhaps, no one reads the writing on the wall. Maybe Pakistanis are simply insensitive to the issues and facts highlighted and brought to the front. There has been no change; from the political scene to education sector, and from the ordinary man to the UN system. Chaos and confusion is rising. We have written policies and systems of prosecution that are implemented quite rarely.

Farooq Sattar of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement(MQM) is shouting from Karachi that they are receiving calls to change their affiliations. He said in a statement on Sunday, ‘I will prefer to die to leaving MQM’. It means pressure is mounting on the MQM affiliates to change their folds, and every effort is being done to wipe of the last remains of the party after its mutilation. A party that was founded in 1984 to segregate the political strength in the Sindh province is finally phasingout. Farooq Sattar shall keep in mind that Altaf Hussain, the founder of the MQM, didn’t die when he was excluded recently after many accusations. So, Farooq Sattar shall remain calm. It is a fact that made-up political parties have to be dismantled one day.

Today the PTI could take advantage of the scenario, and grab the reigns. But soon enough, it will realise that it was on the wrong side of history

In 1979, the charismatic leader of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was hanged. This was also an effort to segregate and diminish its political strength. The next target was Benazir Bhutto, who was elected twice as a Prime Minister (PM). Since then, many tactics have been used to disperse the forces which were the source of unity and strength for the PPP. However, many Pakistan still remain loyal to it today.

Politically incubated by Dictator General Ziaul Haq, three-time PM Mian Nawaz Sharif has been ousted in an absurd manner. Every effort has been made to divide his party, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), which won the recent by-elections despite a massive campaign against its leaders. First toppling the PML-N government in Balochistan and then getting a lesser known senator elected as the Senate chairman speaks volumes of the unwise ongoing political gimmickry, but also shows how strong the unseen forces operating amongst us are.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is enjoying the privilege of not being attacked by the establishment at the moment. But, how long can this last? Many assume that this honeymoon period will be over as soon as another ‘Q-league’ is in the offing. The PTI would gain nothing from such an undemocratic move. PTI chief Imran Khan needs to understand that artificially built up parties don’t last for long. PML-Q is not an example from ancient history. The party was manufactured just few years back. While accepting every Tom, Dick and Harry to its folds, the PTI should try to understand the nature of the migratory birds in politics. They come for a favourable season, and fly to other destination when conditions change.

The PTI leaders need to recall the objectives for which the party was formed, to bring about a change in the socio-political culture, leading to an economically strong country. Accepting political leftovers who have been rejected from other parties will not serve the PTI vision and mission. It is better to walk slow but steadily then playing in the hands of others and rushing to the wrong side.

Strangely, we are compelled to accept the crafted arrangement that does not lead to sustainable solutions. Today the PTI could take advantage of the scenario, and grab the reigns. But soon enough, it will realise that it was on the wrong side of history. If the PTI genuinely considers itself an agent of change, it needs to understand that parties that serve the establishment are eventually dismantled.

The writer is an Islamabad-based policy advocacy, strategic communication and outreach expert. E-mail: devcom.pakistan@gmail.com. Tweets @EmmayeSyed

Published in Daily Times, April 18^th 2018.