The Khan government is not the only one breathing a sigh of relief over the number of coronavirus cases plateauing to a manageable level. Their political opposition is also relieved. More than relieved, it seems! A flurry of political activities in the last four weeks suggests that the dormant opposition will be dormant no more. Will this time be different? Nobody knows, but some latest developments are worth noting.
First, the opposition may have realized that it is their last call before the Khan government is baked into the system for good by senate elections in March 2021. Interestingly, PM Khan, too, earlier this July, reportedly gave his cabinet six more months to improve governance. Or else the winds of change will start blowing.
Contrary to expectations, the coronavirus crisis hasn’t, so far, depleted Khan’s political capital – it may have added to it. Before the pandemic struck, the opposition had been benefitting from own goals by ruling party ineptitude, but it still lost because the pandemic didn’t let them organize protests against job losses and food inflation during spring and summer. Now they feel the need to secure their base from the feel-good factor being promoted by PTI folks.
Second, the season of arrests is over and opposition figures have been getting sympathetic judicial hearings lately. It wasn’t like that until a few months ago: speak out against the government and risk being nabbed (pun intended) in a jiffy. As the PTI cheered from the sidelines, it gave an impression of political vendetta.
The intensity of locking them up used to be numbing. There was a joke doing the rounds that if the opposition figures continued being apprehended like that, soon PTI would be left no one to fight the next election against. But now, there is more leeway to speak out. No wonder the opposition feels emboldened to capture more space.
Third, even the silent ones have been making themselves heard. The Sharif father-daughter duo have broken their quietude. The heir apparent recently stared down NAB in political heartland and is traveling to Punjab, with doting followers in tow. Interestingly, judicial courts up and down the system now want Nawaz back in Pakistan. If he does come back, his welcome party may not run in circles this time around.
And fourth, the obedient one has finally had it, too, or so it seems. Shahbaz Sharif’s rare meeting with former President Asif Zardari has raised eyebrows. Perhaps the junior Sharif doesn’t want to be outshone by the now-politically-active niece. But there is reason to suggest that Khadim-e-Aala is done waiting for a breakthrough with powers that be. Is he an idea whose time, prime time, never came? If yes, there is no way around uniting the family and seek political relevance.
As days become cooler in coming weeks, and as the virus is expected to slowly abate, it will become conducive to organize dharnas again. But the opposition still needs to build a credible economic alternative and bring charismatic leadership out front if its demand to hold fresh elections is to find currency with the fatigued masses.
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