Politics in Pakistan has always been the name of uncertainty and changing loyalties. Elements within political parties align and re-align themselves with the changing winds. The same is the case with the political parties which form alliances and leave them depending on their interests and stakes. On the 20th of September, 2020 an all-parties conference was convened by the PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari with an aim to chalk out a strategy to weaken and ultimately to replace the current government of Prime Minister Imran Khan. The participants after a thorough discussion adopted a 26 points resolution under the umbrella of which they will achieve their purpose. Maulana Fazal-Ur-Rehman who was appointed as the head of the alliance read out the joint strategy. The alliance was joined by eleven (11) political parties with PMLN and PPP the prominent ones. The PDM held its first joint protest in Gujranwala which drew a sizeable crowd. This campaign of organizing rallies continued for some time. The political parties belonging to PDM are critical of the role of the military in the general elections of 2018 and hence displayed their anger and vent against the military institution during their anti-government movement.

Some of the political parties like PMLN AND JUI-F wanted a complete boycott of the electoral politics and submission of resignations from the assembly to put pressure on the government. PPP, however, favored the electoral politics and convinced other parties within the block to contest the Senate elections. In a major setback to the government, Yousuf Raza Gillani of PPP defeated Abdul Hafeez Shiekh (the then finance minister) of PTI. This victory owed much to the successful political bargaining of the PPP’s Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari. Cracks however began to appear within the alliance when PPP refused to resign from the Assemblies. PMLN and JUI-F strongly criticized PPP and this war of words between PPP and other political parties in opposition is still continuing. The cracks bamboozled the Pakistan Democratic Movement when PPP and PMLN appointed their nominees for the opposition leader. Syed Yousuf Raza Gillani with the support of some independent candidates managed to win the slot for PPP even though the PMLN nominee enjoyed the support of most of the opposition members.

PDM in their latest meeting issued a show-cause notice to PPP and ANP for their behavior during senate elections and as a result, both the political parties had quit PDM. Political parties remaining in the PDM pledged to make a new alliance.

What will be the future of PDM? What course will the anti-government movement take place? What will be the future strategy of PPP and PMLN?

 

These things are hard to predict but the prevailing political environment seems to favor an election alliance of the political parties remaining under the umbrella of PDM. PMLN and JUI-F both enjoy considerable electoral influence and as such can give a tough challenge to PTI. PMLN and JUI-F will also have the support of other smaller political parties like JAH, PKMAP, BNP, and National Party. On the other hand, PPP and ANP can be allies too in the upcoming elections. Despite the above discussion, it can be said with surety that it is almost impossible to predict the course of the political landscape in Pakistan.