As the Balochistan Awami Party, the king’s party of Balochistan, confronts ‘managed’ defection, we are all ready to witness yet another round of electoral missteps and changing alignments. Just months before the 2018 elections, the Balochistan Awami Party was formed to depose the PML-N-led coalition administration in the province. Those who had joined this party had previously represented the establishment in Balochistan as members of various federal or local parties.
Balochistan is mainly ruled by “electable sardars and tribal chieftains,” who alternate between left- and right-wing parties. Such lawmakers comprised the Balochistan Awami Party, which brought about an internal transition in October 2021 and worked with a new setup. The arrangement failed for a long time, and now some Balochistan Awami Party lawmakers have joined the PPP, with many more expected to do likewise before the government’s term ends. Some of them may find a welcome reception in the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazal. The breakdown of the party began when its parliamentarians moved a no-confidence resolution against its chief minister, Jam Kamal, and the party dismissed him from the role of party chief.
The issue with the Balochistan Awami Party is that the majority of those who joined the party had nothing to do with the ideology of its foundation. They are fighting for prominent positions and cash inside the party. The parties formed on such grounds have little to do with any professed ideology; members join such parties for personal reasons, and if the stated goals are reached or impossible to achieve, they jump ship in pursuit of better opportunities.
However, as the connection between the establishment and the PPP improves, the majority of the runaway electable politicians will join the PPP in the hope that the party will gain a large share of the Balochistan government. This is a nightmarish scenario for the JUI-F and other regional parties. The PPP must analyze the past of these electable candidates: they were previously members of the PML-N, and even before that, they were known as PML-Q politicians.
However, it is worth noting that in Pakistan, no assembly member has ever left the ruling party, but in Balochistan, three members of the ruling Balochistan Awami Party have joined the PPP. As the ruling party fades into obscurity, the PPP will be unable to rejoice over new party members for a long time. They are political birds, perched on fences and constantly on the lookout for new places to visit. *