Participation in the democratic process is key to democracy. Pakistan’s political parties have learned the lesson that staying out of polls only means you hurt yourself, not the establishment. The recent announcement by the 11-party led Pakistan Democratic Movement that it will participate in the upcoming by-polls is thus a promising indicator.
The alliance has differences, which are to be expected in any multi-party and multi-ideology alliance.
“Maulana Fazlur Rehman is a hardliner with nothing to lose; Maryam Nawaz is reeling from the government onslaught on her family and party; and the PPP is hedging its bets.” However, there is a common goal: “these parties will no longer tolerate the interference of the security establishment in matters of civilian governance.”
According to Dawn Editorial, “If the alliance manages to stay together and move forward even with the coming challenges, the government and the security establishment must not take their demands and warnings lightly.” Hence, maybe it is time that the Prime Minister and his government realized that this movement is not going to just fizzle away. “In this environment, the government must end its posturing and reflect on the fallout of an upcoming crisis. Dialogue is a wise next step.”
