"The opportunity for doing mischief is found a hundred times a day, and of doing good once in a year." Voltaire It is said that desperate conditions demand desperate solutions. For many, the new alliance between the PPP and the PML-Q may lead to political stability in the short-term, but may fall short of the expectations that the leaderships of both the parties have harboured after the new coalition government starts working. Neither the idea of an alliance between the PPP and PML-Q is a new idea, nor the appointment of Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi as the Deputy Prime Minister would have been something unusual. For instance, one may like to recall the appointment of Noorul Amin as the Deputy Prime Minister of Pakistan. Moreover, immediately after the last general elections, former President General (retd) Pervez Musharraf wanted the PPP to join hands with the PML-Q and MQM to form a coalition government. However, Asif Ali Zardari and Mian Nawaz Sharif did not subscribe to the idea, keeping in view the agreement - Charter of Democracy - signed between Shaheed Benazir Bhutto and Mian Sahib. In fact, the leadership of the PPP and PML-N decided to join hands so that the General would be unable to hold the institution of democracy hostage. When Musharraf was elbowed, things changed and the PML-N leadership decided to part ways with PPP, which endangered democracy. Needless to say, this was not the only reason why the democratic institutions became vulnerable. There were other factors, including mismanagement by the governments both at the federal and provincial levels. Also, time and again some political parties tried to blackmail the federal government by demanding certain concessions that were neither conducive for good governance, nor in any way could have helped to promote democracy. More so, the global meltdown of major economies and the ballooning prices of oil hit several countries and Pakistan was no exception to the critical economic condition that it is now in. Besides this, it should be remembered that with the oil import bill that continues to go up, the menace of terrorism has also cut deep into the body of Pakistan's economy. This has sadly resulted in a growth rate of only 2.3 percent due to which the country has been unable to cope with its economic agenda. As a result, frustration has increased among the masses making their lives extremely difficult with no immediate signs of recovery. Whenever such conditions prevail, it becomes extremely important that all the political forces join hands to create conducive atmosphere that will not only help kick-start the economy, but also provide the much needed political stability. Against this backdrop, the PPP leaders concluded that it is time to give some other political parties a chance to help deal with the challenges facing the country, rather than wasting more time. For this, the PPP contacted the PML-Q leadership that in return agreed to help it, which may allow the new coalition government to concentrate on the immediate problems to improve the life of the common man. How far they will be successful is another matter. It is also expected that due to this alliance some progress will be made as far as Pakistan's economy is concerned. Foreign investment, which plays an important role in the economic development of any nation, will see a positive change. Earlier, the flow of foreign investment had nearly dried out due to the peculiar conditions that prevailed in Pakistan. Therefore, if the new set up succeeds in encouraging foreign investors to initiate projects in our country, it will be no mean achievement because it will increase economic activity that will help alleviate the problems of the poor. However, the basic criteria for the success of the new set-up will be the sincerity of purpose of the 'new coalition partners. That is to help steer the country out of its present political and economic mess. Another major factor is that whatever deal has been finalised between the two political parties, it must be implemented in letter and in spirit so that no partner is provided with a chance to cringe, as they move along the perilous path of Pakistan's political dispensation. Meanwhile, this alliance has been severely criticised by the PML-N leadership, which has called it a marriage of convenience that will fall apart as soon as the next year's financial budget is passed by the National Assembly. Therefore, the PPP and the PML-Q must ensure that the alliance remains intact and works according to the agreements made between them. If they fail, not only will they suffer, but it will also lead to the demise of democracy. More so, the PML-N leaderships criticism is not justified, since they too have an alliance with the PML-Q dissidents, known as the like-minded group, in Punjab. Similarly, the PPP and the PML-Q have decided to join hands at the federal level. And if this alliance prospers, then they will have a unique opportunity to strengthen democracy and, at the same time, ensure that the experiment of a coalition government in Pakistan can be successful. Several questions are being raised about this alliance, since both the parties have diverse political and economic agendas. Indeed, they will have to make a lot of effort so that their aims and objectives coincide on the same point that is the required for Pakistan. One hopes that the PPP and PML-Q will have the political sagacity to bury their past bitterness so that they can move forward. Also, the agreement between the PPP and PML-Q that the general elections will be held earlier than scheduled would mean that this alliance will have less time to complete the political and economic agenda that has brought them together. One, therefore, has to see that political polarisation does not get out of hand and temperatures remain under control as the country moves towards the next parliamentary elections, as stipulated under the agreement by the political parties. It will be extremely unfortunate in case the new alliance fails to work together or provide the much needed relief to the people, as it will provide an opportunity to those elements who never believe in the will of the people in Pakistan. n The writer is a freelance columnist. Email: zarnatta@hotmail.com