In functioning democracies the coalition-formation is common; it works well but not always. The smaller or junior coalition partners, as is presently the case with us, ask for a rather hefty share of the cake. They want to dictate their terms in policy issues, and if denied they threaten to leave the government. Rightly then, Prime Minister Imran Khan has formed a committee, headed by Defence Minister Khattak, to meet "annoyed" government allies and address their concerns. But given the forbidding size of their concerns, the said committee may find it difficult to win back their loyalty. If their demands are genuine and can be met the prime minister has the chance to keep them, but if their demands are only a camouflage for something else - recall Vawda's theatrics - then the only course left with the PTI is to go for the mid-term polls. Given the enormity of security challenges besetting today's Pakistan, the government must be sure of its footing in the public. True, funding worth Rs 162 billion for Karachi was promised and is not translating into a reality. But to think that someone in Islamabad is sitting on it out of malice for 20 million Karachiites won't be fair. Same is the case with Punjab. The federal government must come clean on these demands. But if the game is on, in view of what Faisal Vawda's 'army boot' tends to suggest, time is of the essence because the country cannot afford to be in limbo of incertitude.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020