Daily Times

For far too long headlines have been dominated by this intense political feud between the government and just about all of the opposition. First the government, as if PTI was itching to grease the Accountability machinery, had practically all of the senior opposition members picked up on varying charges of corruption. They can be politically correct all they want about it, and lay it squarely at ‘independent’ NAB’s feet, but the official line hasn’t largely found much traction. Then this and that happened till the Maulana came out with his dharna. Then the process of Nawaz’s departure rattled the government, especially how some cracks emerged between PTI and its many coalition partners, enabling it so far to maintain a razor thin majority up and down the place. You could see that in the prime minister’s outburst at the motorway inauguration the other day.

And now the ECP must hold daily hearings of PTI’s foreign funding case. Backed into a corner PM Imran Khan is shouting his anti-corruption mantra even louder, promising not to relent even as the pieces move against him on the board, perhaps trying to make this particular point because there’s not much else, especially the economy, to celebrate. And, how can we forget, parliament has been paralysed practically since the change of guard, even though it was only ceremonially functioning before that.

What, then, to expect of the future? Does the opposition really believe it can bring the government down, even though all principal parties are ‘on the same page’? And who’s behind the latest plot coming out of the rumour mill; hints about minus-one?

The only mention of the common man in those headlines, sadly, is how he’s struggling to make ends meet. He can only watch from the side as the aristocracy, so far removed from the reality of the country, play out their game of thrones. And, to add insult to injury, the ruling class always says it’s doing all this for the man on the street.

Perhaps it’s the duty of the ruling party, considering it bears responsibility for the result, to revise its strategy. The IMF program on track, reserves improving, rupee stable, even the current account deficit finally positive, is all very good, but it will mean nothing at the next vote if the real economy is not fixed. If the government is unable to address people’s most basic needs, which even the “looters and plunderers” could in their time, despite their alleged looting and plundering, it not the opposition will have to answer for it. *