United Opposition to Hold Rallies Against Government After Ramadan
The MMA, formed in opposition to Musharraf’s U-turn on Afghan policy, capitalized on people’s sentiment while contesting the general elections of 2002; making Book as the electoral emblem, it was able to win considerable seats in Parliament and provincial assemblies of NWFP and Balochistan. Moreover, the seat of opposition leader fell into its hands in the center and it was able to strike alliance with the PML to make government in Balochistan. The MMA had NWFP due to its overwhelming strength in its assembly. Earlier, the Nizamat of Karachi had fell into its lap like a ripe fruit as the MQM boycotted the local body elections.
Being the largest opposition party in the center, the MMA has been on the forefront to criticize government in the parliament; it has been part of the desk-thumping exercise of the PPP-P and PML-N. Too, it is the fact that it failed to offer meaningful resistance on serious issues like LFO and government’s drive to root out militancy from the society that it bitterly opposed terming it as an exercise to please America. The military operation in Waziristan was launched while MMA was in power in NWFP; hundreds of jihadis were hunted down in Pakistan – they are rotting in American jails!
As the MMA enjoyed privileges of power, the other liberal parties of the country remained on razor’s edge. General Musharraf refused to allow return of Benazir and Nawaz Sharif. PML-Q, the ruling party of the country, kept on occupying the PML-N space while its allies constituted the factions that had defected PPP. It’s noteworthy that General Musharraf was able to get into his camp all the important sections of the society that have always mattered in national politics – feudals, mullas/ spiritual leaders and businessmen; opposition constitutes only of dregs.
So the opposition as a whole remained toothless until very recently when Musharraf clearly drew a line between progressive and reactionary forces following the London blasts. In his message to the nation on eve of Independence Day, he asked the people to reject the dark forces in local body elections. MMA, by that time, had passed Hasba Bill in NWFP assembly to the very opposition of the PML, ANP and ARD -they termed it as an attempt to Talbanise the NWFP society.
Having lost its importance in the eyes of the government, MMA was ready to join the ARD camp. The opportunity awaited it like an unravished bride as the Alliance for Restoration of Democracy held an All Parties Conference before LG elections; ARD welcomed it even though the ANP refused to attend the moot due to its reservations against MMA.
The alliance of religious parties is furious over the recent meeting between the foreign ministers of Pakistan and Israel; the ‘chance meeting’ between Musharraf and Sharon has just added fuel to fire. As per the dictates of the worldview, the mullas of the country happen to cherish, there is no room for friendship between the Muslims and Jews; they interpret Islam strictly and are less inclined to embrace the vision of Pakistan as a nation state. To the disappointment of intelligentsia, the so-called liberal parties of the country seem to be supporting the MMA’s distorted vision of international politics!
Times have led maulanas to ARD’s camp and it does not want to miss the opportunity to enhance its bargaining power in the political system. The ultimate strategy is to create confusion through strike calls and long marches. Having comparatively more committed workers, the MMA can prove to be the best tool for the purpose. On the other hand, the religious parties have also no option but to join hands with the liberal parties to grind thier own axes. By all means it is another marriage of inconvenience the MMA has entered.
The single point agenda of MMA and ARD has the potential to hit snags as the two alliances fundamentally differ on the time of next general elections. The MMA want the present assemblies complete their tenure, while the ARD wants polls at earliest. The alliance of religious alliance just wants to strengthen its position on the issue of madarsaas registration and Hasba Bill while the least the ARD aims at is the return of Benazir and Sharifs into the country before the next general elections. The commitment of not to contest next polls under Musharraf is, too, an eyewash – just look as to how they are eager to strengthen their positions in LG system.
The opposition clan has yet to develop a habit to calculate the loss to the economy while sticking to the politics of opportunism. Wheel-jam strikes and shutter downs means a lot for the lower strata of population; boycotting decision-making procedures will help little for country’s smooth integration in WTO system. The September 09 strike and the latest boycott of Senate session by the united opposition are the incidents that have raised many questions regarding its seriousness vis-Ã? -vis democracy and people’s welfare.
