LAHORE - By holding a third impressive show of power in the city, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) is inching its way to a position where it could present a real threat to the ruling PML-N even in its power bastion - Punjab, according to political observers.
The PML-N is undermining and under-rating PTI’s Minar-i-Pakistan public meeting yet certain elements in the ruling party do feel that Sunday’s show could lay foundations of a big challenge for them in the time to come if no timely action was taken to check PTI’s advance.
Sources in the PML-N say that the party is not in panic or under pressure after the PTI rally as it believes it is part of the political activity but it does feel threat from possible intervention by the third force, a fear which still lurks in the mind of the party leadership despite repeated assurances from the Army for unflinching support to democracy and the government.
They say the expanded scope of the PTI’s anti-government protest campaign can serve spade work to attract the third force which may not directly but indirectly play a role for change albeit a long way has yet to go for that end.
Observers reckon the PTI Minar-i-Pakistan rally another big success of the party in Punjab; the political citadel of the PML-N and centre of all decision making of the party as well as the government to an extent. The PTI centralising its protest activity in Islamabad is now also holding rallies in other parts of the country as well.
It seems to be gearing up to test nerves of the PML-N particularly in Punjab, besides rapidly building its image as a national party poised for playing a major role at the national level. The PTI can achieve major political mileage to ease its way to a lofty position if took over the PML-N in Punjab.
The September 28 rally of the PTI has been estimated bigger than its previously held October 30, 2011 and March 23, 2012 rallies. In the background of 45-day long protest dharna in Islamabad, it has dispelled the impression of losing support of the public as created by its rival political parties.
About the previously held rallies, the PML-N and others rival parties had accused the PTI of holding the big shows with the support of the head of an intelligence agency who now is no more in the office and current show has also negated that charge.
An active participation of the people from all segments of the society in Sunday rally demonstrates public dissatisfaction with the government which in its 16 months stay in power has done nothing except adding to the problems of the masses through price hike, loadshedding, unemployment etc.
Adding to it is the daily addresses of Imran Khan wherein he is exposing corruption, favouritism and wrong policies of the government, besides highlighting woes of the layman due to failure of the government. Khan is making out the point that a government came into being through rigged elections can do nothing for the people and his voice is being received well at the public level.
Now Khan has also found a fit place for mobilising the masses to his point of view and in the next leg, he has planned to hold public meetings in Mianwali, Multan and then back in central Punjab towns where the PML-N has huge political following. Not that but the parliamentary parties including PPP, MQM and JI, which supported the government, now in their body language show taking an independent line of action in the time to come as they too meet the PTI on the point of election rigging.
On the other hand the PML-N lacks any hard and fast counter strategy as the top rankers in the party, as the sources say, do not take the matter seriously but the leaders are content only with passing harsh and critical statements against Khan individually. In order to turn the public mind against Khan, the PML-N ruling group is blaming everything from dwindling economic situation to deferred visit of Chinese president, on Islamabad protest dharna.
Party leaders including former Law Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan, Parliamentary Secretary Rana Muhammad Arshad and others say Imran Khan’s attitude and use of language is creating resentment among the party workers and things are becoming intolerable for them. Rana Arshad said that the PTI through its attitude and use of language against the N leaders is taking the matter to a point where perhaps, it would be hard to keep the workers under control.
Last month the N-League had planned to counter the PTI protest through the rallies and processions in Lahore and other cities but the party failed to maintain the tempo. N sources say the party leadership had refrained the PML-N bodies from going ahead with counter rallies in the interest of peace and also for the reason this exercise did not suit a ruling party. However, the other sources say, the rallies were abandoned for some other reasons.
Sources however say the PML-N leadership is expected to meet soon to take stock of the situation and adopt a line of action. They say that besides resorting to legal action to get termination of the dharnas, the government to better its position can also pursue policy of comforting the masses through relief on petrol price and reduced electricity bills which swelled enormously due to incorrect meter reading last month. Sources say a certain group in the party is worried about the upcoming situation and is expected to put its point of view before the party command soon. The PML-N is not ready to let Punjab go out of hand at any cost, they add.