By Sardar Khan Niazi
The last few weeks saw the government continuously trapped in too many a storm. There were frenzied gossips about it standing on the unsteady ground because of the growing discord with the allies. Many quarters saw the government’s defeat not once, but twice in the National Assembly as the start of the PTI’s fall.
Moreover, the opposition parties thundered in harmony wishing to revive the almost lifeless PDM. All seemed to have fixed their attention on the seat of the government. However, the cutting-edge vote on crucial bills on overseas voting and the use of EVMS came as a setback to the opposition parties.
Opposition parties are ever ready to pounce upon any opportunity to weaken the PTI government. The PTI as a final point won over its disgruntled allies and they supported it against the opposition in the parliamentary joint session. The win has given a crucial lift to the government.
Members of the opposition had many misgivings against the bills as their speeches in the parliament indicated. That is why they staged a walkout to record their protest. Now they are planning to take the case to the court and start protest rallies once again.
Pictures of the anti-government protest rallies show a threatening sea of people angrily demanding change. Yet, it is astonishing how little these crowds achieve. The fanatical political energy on the ground is immensely inconsistent with the practical outcomes of these protest rallies.
Protest rallies have actually contributed to the overthrow of the governments in some countries in the past. However, most protest rallies fail to create significant changes in politics or public policies.
The problem is what happens after the protest rally. The hotchpotch groups that participate in the protest rally have no formal affiliation with one another, no clear hierarchy, and no obvious leaders. Sometimes it ends in a violent confrontation with the police, and more often than not, it simply fizzles out.
Behind every protest rally, there is hardly a well-organized and enduring organization capable of following up on protesters’ demands and undertaking the multifaceted and upright political program that can produce real change in government.
It may be the democratic and legal right of the opposition parties to hold protest rallies against the government policies and bring no-confidence motions, but they fail to realize that pursuing this strategy may have grave consequences for the country particularly on the economy. How is it possible for a politically unstable country to achieve the desired economic growth?
In essence, it is very significant to have an objective and thorough study of the current state of affairs. If the ouster of Imran Khan’s ruling party from the government’s seat can bring down international prices of both crude and palm oil then the opposition movement is well and good. The opposition grouping i.e. PDM knows deep down that it is not possible; therefore, what is the wisdom behind holding the protest rallies?
For the same reason, the IMF is not going to ease its terms and conditions for reestablishing loan facility rather with the exit of the PTI government (God forbid), the moneylender, that is to say, the IMF will further tighten up its terms and conditions. Therefore, it is in the interest of the country that the opposition parties review their plan of protest rallies and follow a sensible program of cooperating with the government for the benefit of the country.
The tenure of the PTI regime is now less than two years away and the opposition parties should let it complete its term. The citizens of this country are the best judge and let them decide PTI’s fate in the next general elections based on its performance.
