This is apropos a Business Recorder news item ‘PDM govt tries to size up post-IK situation’ carried by the newspaper yesterday. According to it, prime minister Shehbaz Sharif has held talks with PPP’s Asif Zardari, PML-Q’s Chaudhry Shujaat and others in order to take stock of the political situation obtaining after PTI chief’s announcement that he would be dissolving Punjab and KPK assemblies on December 23, 2022.

Given that it’s no ordinary development, the government is required to act proactively in order to deal with the current situation on a confident note. Warding off Imran Khan’s Dec 23 challenge is not easy at all; the government will now find it extremely difficult, if not impossible, to continue its rule till August next year. Even if the government is able to overcome this challenge it won’t be able to bring about much-needed political stability upon which country’s economic prospects are dependent.

It will require the government to successfully wean Punjab chief minister Pervaiz Elahi away from Imran’s game-plan. Unfortunately, the incumbent Punjab chief minister is rightly or wrongly described by his opponents as a politician who does not have a feeling that prevents him from doing something that he thinks is morally wrong or makes him uncertain about doing it. The Punjab chief minister is PDM government’s first option. Interestingly, he’s PDM government’s last option as well.

Saleem Raza (Lahore)

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022