The fulcrum of opposition parties in Pakistan is in full swing as a new, reinvigorated PDM is back with its autumn of mass protests. Once again, Maulana Fazlur Rehman is beaming in the driving seat with PML-N throwing its weight behind him. Business is no longer as usual as those who had caused quite a ruckus with their departure are back in the game. Down with the government, echoes PPP and PML-N in unison, as long-term adversaries knock their heads together for a new way to groan back to life. Momentum is scaling up in full steam to get the best out of a rare chance to push PM Imran Khan out. Meanwhile, government mouthpieces are back to laughing down the new energy as a non-event. Whether the opposition can finally make a dent in Islamabad is another debate altogether. What had begun as a black-and-white threat to a government already struggling from economic failures and a pandemic-battered vote bank last September soon frazzled without delivering on any of the grand promises. Call it an unavoidable consequence of Nawaz Sharif’s boat-burning assault on powers-that-be or the never-ending scuffles between member parties, the alliance was destined to doom. But only and until the Homeric battle between the House of Sharifs and the Jiyala camp dragged on. As is apparent, a visibly cooling down of temperatures has happened. Gone are the days when the PPP was busy working on an agenda of its own. Starting from plans to try to fill up the space–a nod here and a wink there–, the PPP used up every possible card from its deck. Drumming out former finance minister to waving the same-old rigging card to relentlessly designing an in-house change, pragmatic power politics were the rule of the day. However, it has now been too long for Bilawal to realise that it is not his dye to be cast yet. He is nowhere near the royal hallway. Ergo, the pushing of envelopes and the pulling down at the walls! Understanding Bilawal’s hand is a no-brainer. However, what other parties would gain by conveniently forgetting the wrath they had unleashed in the days gone by still boggles many minds. Wasn’t it the same Maryam Nawaz that had lambasted his politics as a “substitute of selected?” Any and all dogmas of logic would dictate taking some time in coming to a conclusion (with eyes wide open) and then sticking to it, come what may! But then again, isn’t deliberate forgetfulness a hallmark of success in politics! *