Lahore:
With almost all odds stacked in their advantage and with a little to lose, the channel question becomes a blessing in disguise for PPP as the controversy helps the party to connect again with its core support base, giving it the opportunity to establish an independent position in the government, said to PPP leaders.
Now that PPP has refused to waive its demand for paid tribute to the controversial channel project, which threatens to withdraw its own support from the government, the ruling PML-n led the bitter consequence of this standoff, and on Sunday it finally decided to take a political route, offering PPP that the Sindh government should resolve the question via dialogue.
This offer for dialogue was apparently made on the instructions of PML-N President Nawaz Sharif, who has advised his party to take their allies in confidence.
Before this intervention, some PML-N leaders, who took public jibs on PPP, with some called it an intra-party match, while others calling PPP’s attitude to Canal, released a battle for its political survival in Sindh. A senior PPP leader admitted that they were a little late to respond to the channel controversy, which allowed leaders at the local level in Sindh to get a jump start on the question.
However, he said that anyone who claims that PPP is threatened by these political units is completely unaware of the reality of the earth in Sindh. He said that PPP could not have responded in the impulsive way these local players did as it is an important ally of the government.
“PPP would not have taken any hardline if the government ministers had shown any maturity,” he said.
He said no matter how the situation happened, it was a blessing in disguise for PPP. He said that PML-N or those behind it is fully aware that PPP can bring this system down into heart beat.
He said that the only glue, especially in test times that hold this alliance together – the establishment – cannot at least in this case Browbeat PPP to have it in their way.
“They will have to take some quotas. To allow this project to continue potentially jeopardize PPP’s grip on Sindh, so any amount of threat would not force it to surrender on the question.”
He said with their numerical strength in the National Assembly and with their politics at stake in Sindh, neither PML-N nor the establishment can do anything to get PPP about changing his mind. “PPP will go all the way with this match, even if it means to quit this government,” he added.
He said PPP President Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and his father, President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari, are on the same page on this question. Zardari’s stature does not allow him to hold the kind of tough frame like Bilawal, but they are at least of the same mind in this matter, ”he said. However, he repeated his party’s attitude that they do not want to destabilize the government and hope that PML-N will come to his sense.
Another well -placed leader said they are looking badly playing behind the media coverage of rallies in Sindh of the local levels. He said that a perception was created that PPP would have been okay with this project whose opposite voices in the inner Sindh had not emerged.
He said there is no one to deny that PPP took his time to access this situation and that it is a fact that PPP had to change gear in the province to counter the new voices, but to claim that PPP would have allowed this exploitation of its people’s resources is a view that is created to hurt it politically.
He said it was originally a challenge when opposing the channel meant to oppose the establishment, but they have-caresy PML-N-facing it to an opportunity they pay.
He said that with Bilawal, who took the middle of the scene on the question, Sindh witnesses another Zulficar Ali Bhutto in Making. He said that utilization of resources is a affected topic for three smaller provinces and for Sindh Water is a high sensitive problem.
He said that PML-N policy is at stake as it will be the biggest loser if its government is sent packing.
“The establishment is known for changing horses in the middle stream, and in this scenario replacement is already waiting in the wing. PPP has Sindh. What has PML-n other than ‘Holy Blessings’. So before they mock us, they would have to look inward to know their own value,” he added.
