ISLAMABAD - The recent solo flight of major opposition party [PML-N] for extending its ‘unconditional support’ to the army act amendment bill, without evolving consensus with other opposition factions, could damage the ‘ongoing romance’ in opposition ranks.

The joint opposition in the lower house of the parliament was being considered as much more united than the government’s coalition partners to take any political stance.

However, the recent swiftly taken stance of PML-N over the army chief extension-related legislation has provided an opportunity to the opposition factions specifically PPP-P to express their reservations for not taking them into confidence on the issue.

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had to give remarks that the PML-N had ‘ended opposition’s role’ by extending its unconditional support to the Army Act Amendment Bill.

Bilawal was seemingly annoyed over opposition leader in the National Assmebly Shehbaz Sharif for not evolving consensus over this matter of important nature.

PPP-P’s stalwarts believe that political forces in the parliament have to reach any consensus before taking an important decision. “Hasty decisions in politics are not much encouraged as consultations always open new ways,” says PPP-P stalwart Raja Pervaiz Ashraf while commenting on the recent decision of PML-N without taking PPP-P into confidence.

Talking to The Nation, the former prime minister said the rival political factions wait for these situations to take advantages. “PPP-P will avoid creating any rift. We believe in developing consensus on all important matters,” he commented, supporting the reservations of his party’s chief.

Political pundits believe that political differences among political forces are often short-lived, as even worst political opponents have been witnessed forgetting their political rivalries. PPP-P and PML-N have been the worst kind of political rivals in recent past. Now, the romance of PPP-P and PML-N in the parliament [before the solo flight of the former on amendment in Army Act] is one of the main examples of it.

Likewise, PTI as opposition party in the last government was considered as a main political foe of MQM. Now, both the parties are sitting together on treasury benches.

PML-N’s senior lawmaker Mian Javed Latif while commenting on his party’s decision of not taking opposition parties into confidence, termed it a ‘mistake’ being a major opposition party in the National Assembly.

He said Shehbaz Sharif was not in the country so ‘the responsible’ should have taken this responsibility.

It may be mentioned here that PML-N MNA Khawaja Asif was the senior most in country in absence of opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif to deal with major affairs of the party.

About possible growing difference between PPP-P and PML-N, Asif hinted that his party would take an initiative to mend fences with other opposition forces.

“PML-N will remove difference and ‘reservations of any kind’ as it is my party’s mistake,” said the PML-N lawmaker sharing his party’s possible political strategy in future.

Another PML-N senior member from Southern Punjab, Riaz Pirzada, was of the view that this matter could have been resolved out of the parliament.

Political pundits say both major political parties are not in a position to further increase their differences as it could provide an opportunity to their political rivals.

The major opposition party would assure its partner that they were not cutting any deal with anyone and it was just a mistake not evolving consensus with other opposition forces.

Both opposition parties’ main players are currently in custody of different law enforcement agencies. The PPP-P and PML-N, in a show of unity, have also jointly raised voice for production orders of their detained members. Both the parties might also hold a meeting with its allied partner JUI-F soon.

The opposition would try to keep exerting psychological pressure on the incumbent government, which is possible only with unity in their ranks.