Daily Times

Reported differences between the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and its junior coalition partner Pakistan Muslim League-Q (PML-Q) in Punjab are not a good omen for both the government and democracy. On Friday, Chief Minister Usman Buzdar visited the residence of PML-Q leader and Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi to fix the threats to his government brewing in the wake of a resignation letter by a Punjab minister, by Punjab Mines and Minerals Minister Hafiz Ammar Yasir, a PML-Q MPA from Chakwal. The resignation letter, written to his party leadership and conspicuously leaked to the media, cited unwarranted interference and hurdles in his ministry since he assumed the ministry over four months ago. The minister, without explaining who is interfering in his ministry, or who is exerting pressure on him, stirred unease in the PTI quarters, which appear to be under pressure in the centre from the statement of another partner – Sardar Akhtar Mengal. Newspapers also published the picture of Prime Minister Imran Khan meeting the leaders of another major coalition partner from Sindh – the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (PMQ-P). Even though with a tag of being a tough coalition partner, the MQM-P has not issued any statement regarding their coalition affairs, which is quite surprising. Signs of anger, however, from the Chaudhrys of Gujrat, known as placid players of politics, should be worrying for the PTI.

The chief minister’s late night visit to the Chaudhrys seems to have worked for now. It has yet to be seen what measures will be taken to address the minister’s concerns. The minister handles a ‘not a so lucrative’ office given that Punjab has rather few mines in the province. Their contracts, however, are regarded goldmines. In the previous governments, ministers patronised their blue-eyed boys by dishing out contracts. Disagreements from the bureaucracy in the award of such contracts often ended in deadlock. In the current scenario, the bureaucracy has adopted a go-slow policy and has become extra cautious given the activism of the National Accountability Bureau. In the case of PTI-PML-Q coalition, both parties were sailing smoothly until a recent statement by Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry, which drew ire of the top PML-Q leadership. Chaudhry had said that PTI could have formed forward blocs in the PML-N, PML-Q and PPP but didn’t do so. The mention of the PML-Q might be just a slip of the tongue, but it did not go well within the Chaudhry camp. They fielded young Monis Elahi to remind the minister to behave like a disciplined member of the cabinet. The Chaudhry of Jhelum was quick to offer apology and it let the dust settle.

Coalitions are tricky to run. Our chequred history of governments is full instances where a senior partner is coerced by minority players into making concessions and favours to them. The tough time given by Altaf-ruled MQM during the rule of Pakistan People’s Party (2008-2013) is a case in point. If all coalition players play by the book, and also keep a vigilant eye on each other’s working, it might result in better governance. Similarly, the ruling PTI needs to refrain from carving forward blocs from other parties. Forward blocs only fuel the culture of horse trading. Under the given legal framework, forward blocs are nearly impossible to be created unless the majority of the party members in legislature defect. The PTI government in Islamabad should also be reminded that if it tries to topple a democratically-elected Sindh government, the same method can be used against its governments in the centre and Punjab. *

Published in Daily Times, January 20^th 2019.