Tensions between the government and the opposition are not subsiding even after a good four month’s time. Initially, Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N), and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) showed distrust in the management of the elections, however, they agreed to the formation of the new government. This was a gesture in favour of the new government which has not been reciprocated because the strategy adopted by them has been to malign the previous governments. While there is no doubt that the system needs to make amends, it is impossible to do so without having all the other parties on board.

A period of four months has gone by without any substantial parliamentary work due to the disagreement over the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairman. It is important for the government to understand how their own role has transitioned from that of an opposition party to a party of the government - this automatically means adopting a more receptive role to allow democratic procedures to play their part. Till this point, decisionmaking is only coming from the PTI front which has also alienated coalition parties like the Balochistan National Party (BNP) and the Pakistan Muslim League Quaid (PML-Q) - both of which claim the lack of fulfillment of the promises made to them and have been approached by PPP for alliance

In the context of the parliament, more often than not, walkouts have been staged. Issues which should be resolved in the parliament are pending. For instance, the Minister for Water Resources, Chairman WAPDA and senior relevant officers have been absent from meetings discussing water scarcity. This is in complete contrast to PTI activists staging protests in Sindh demanding the distribution of water and the arrest of Asif Ali Zardari. As a result, we have witnessed strong criticism of the government, the judiciary and the establishment by party President Asif Ali Zardari.

After several months of silence, both PPP and PML-N are now preparing to launch nationwide campaigns against the ruling party. Former PM Nawaz Sharif has also criticised the role of the new government and their attempts to strengthen the economy. While the government is relying on accountability courts to arrest mainstream opposition leaders, the opposition is mobilising workers and reorganising to push for early elections in order to uphold democratic values in the country. The only question now remains, when will PPP and PMLN join forces and will PTI be strong enough to deal with such opposition?