Lahore:
The political space for opposition parties, especially PTI, may have been further shrunk after the establishment strengthened its ties with the West, as analysts suggest that the binded party’s chances of making a political comeback under the current regime were almost non -existent.
However, they warn that the budding relationship with the Trump administration can be a fleeting, double-edged sword for the forces that are.
Former Punjab -Vice Work Minister and Senior Political Analyst Hasan Askari said PTI has no political future under the current dispensation, which he described as being firmly controlled by a powerful business.
According to him, the establishment has only become stronger in the wake of two mini wars in the region.
“This setup will not give up space for PTI as it would mark the beginning of their own regret. They cannot afford PTI to do politics on the streets. As long as they have power, they will keep Imran behind pillars,” Askari said. He also noted that no government since Benazir Bhutto’s first power in power had given as much reason to the military as the current one has.
Askari said that the current setup that retrieves its strength “right from the top” could last for a significant period. But when it falls, “it will go down like a card house”. He added that PTI is likely to survive this regime and will “rise from the ruins” the moment it gets political space.
As for Pakistan’s relations with the United States, he said Islamabad’s “Relations with America will last as long as their interests and ours are in line”. Pakistan can benefit in the short term, he added, but this relationship is contextual. “Tomorrow, when our tools diminish, the heat will also in the relationship.”
Another political analyst, Rasool Bakhsh Rais, said that although PTI may at the moment be in a bond, it was quickly regained reason. “PML-N and PPP are steadily losing the little public legitimacy they had,” he said.
Rais pointed to the Supreme Court’s recent decision to extradite PTI’s reserved seats to PML-N and PPP, saying it “has exposed the underfall to this hybrid-plus regime”.
He said the West has a long history of supporting dictatorships and autocratic regimes when it suits its interests. “Even in our case, US support for the establishment is to delegiti the political government only. The system may have gained strength, but constitutionally it has become fragile.” He added that PTI founder Imran Khan would not stretch under pressure and would stand his soil. “Imran Khan is a lighthouse for Pakistan’s political system. His position is in the country’s interest,” Rais said. He noted that although the current exemption can ignore the public view for now, “soon they will understand what the meaning of an ordinary man is worth”.
Another analyst, Salman Abid, agreed that heartfelt ties to the United States will come at a price. He described the US -Pakistan relationship as purely transactional.
