A lull before storm...

Now that the Senate and the National Assembly have been prorogued, the political activity has almost died down in Islamabad and elsewhere in the country. Another reason for this phenomenon could be the holy month of Ramazan. All the more so, because unlike in the past, Iftar-related activities are relatively sparse.
Is it a lull before storm? This, of course, is anybody's guess. Both the houses of the parliament have done their 'job' by passing the 'dual-office bill. They will now be summoned after the religious festival of Eidul Fitr.
Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and some other politicians are away from the country for one reason or the other.
But most of the politicians are home in their towns and villages to celebrate the religious festival.
Whatever little political activity is seen is confined to news conferences or media talk at Iftar-dinners. But reports say that public meetings and demonstration will be the order of the day after Eidul Fitr.
Opposition parties have rejected the government's offer of dialogue, conditioning it with the withdrawal of the dual-office bill, which allows President General Pervez Musharraf to continue holding the slots of president and the army chief beyond December 31 deadline.
The Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD), its allied parties and the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) have hinted at a final showdown with rulers within weeks of the end of Ramazan.
On the one hand, opposition parties will be regrouping to amass strength against the rulers, and on the other, one of the key opposition alliances, the MMA, will be facing a difficult situation.
MMA's supreme council will meet after Eid to take a decision whether or not to attend the National Security Council meeting, expected to be held by the third or fourth week of November.
This would be the first meeting of the council after Shaukat Aziz assumed the office of prime minister.
A flurry of meetings between NWFP Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani and government representatives in recent days have indicated softening up of JUI (F) on the question of being part of the council.
The opposition would be in a Catch-22 situation. While it is expected to remain united for the supremacy of Parliament and revival of the 1973 Constitution and at the same time it has to bring the inflation-hit masses onto streets.
Some sources are of the opinion that the combined opposition is poised to receive a severe blow in terms of split in the six-party alliance.
The alliance is already shaky due to some parties' reservations over its policies.
How far the opposition will succeed on these fronts, and how the ruling coalition would respond only time will tell.
After the passage of the bill, the opposition has been talking big but 'seeing is believing'. Let's wait!