- PTI’s razor-thin majority too tempting for the Opposition to ignore
Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government was not easy to form, for it required a lot of effort pre- and post-elections. The government exists because of a plethora of allies who are well aware of their importance to the PTI and have therefore been able to negotiate federal cabinet portfolios and other important posts for themselves. The opposition parties are of course also aware of the PTI’s dependency on its allies which is why PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto made an overture to the MQM-P, offering them a partnership in Sindh if they break away from the ruling party in the centre. The MQM-P is correct in tagging it a non-serious attempt given how the offer was made so publicly, because usually such matters are handled more delicately and behind the scenes. Perhaps it is less a case of immaturity on Bilawal’s part and more of a scare tactic, one that the PTI has also used in the past, threatening to gather the required numbers in the Sindh Assembly to gain a majority over the PPP. That the MQM-P did not reject the offer outright suggests that it too wants to hold the PTI to the fire. This is the problem with coalition governments, where the required number to make or break them is so small; all it takes is a little pushing and tugging in the right direction to get the desired result. With less than six months left to pass the necessary and all-important legislation required to extend COAS Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa’s tenure, the PTI’s allies have a lot of leverage to play with and get their pound of flesh. The PML-Q, another major ally, has reportedly already made certain requests that it perhaps could not have made a few months back.
A worse situation exists in Punjab where the PTI is also in power but with an even more fragile majority. Yet the government continues to exert pressure on the opposition as it is either unwilling or unable to control the urges directed by its obsession with so-called ‘accountability’. The PTI should be grateful for some of the very effective firewalls that exist between the current volatile nature of how it is running the government and a scenario where it sees itself sitting on the opposition benches. Nevertheless, some serious course correction at this juncture would be a good idea.
