The PPP, the party in power in Sindh but at the same time a component of the opposition alliance – PDM – is against other parties’ decision for tendering resignations from assemblies. 

To bring it under moral pressure to follow the majority decision, PDM President Maulana Fazlur Rehman says since all other parties are in favour of quitting the assemblies the PPP should also go by their decision. 

Not in agreement with the alliance’s approach, the PPP has referred the matter to its central executive committee (CEC) which is expected to meet on April 4, the death anniversary of its founding chairman Z.A. Bhutto. 

However, the PDM chief, who being the head of the JUI is supposed to be a man of principles, does not apply this rule to the parliament. 

At present the PTI has 156 seats in the National Assembly and with the support of its allies its strength goes up to 177. 

On the other hand, the PML-N has 83 seats, PPP 55, MMA 15.  If other parties sitting on opposition benches are added up the anti-government bloc consists of 160 seats.

But if we exclude the PPP from this bloc its strength will come down to 105. Now if we calculate the strength of the parties opposed to immediate fresh elections it climbs up to 232 (177 plus 55). 

Is there any justification for leaders of 105 MNAs to dictate to 232 legislators?  Why does the Maulana not apply the majority principle on this matter?

The PDM chief’s other arguments in favour of resignations also sound hollow. 

For example, he said in a recent interview that he doesn’t support the idea of no-confidence against the prime minister or the Punjab chief minister as failure on this front will amount to giving legitimacy to the assemblies. He was very clear that long march and the resignations are the best strategy against the PTI-led coalition. 

He made it clear that the PDM would go ahead with its long march and sit-in decision even if the PPP stayed away. 

Answering a question, the Maulana said if the fight was to be confined to the assemblies (as argued by the PPP leadership) then there was no need for the establishment of PDM on Sept 20 last year. 

Needless to point out that there are several contradictions in the PDM’s stance. 

The assemblies the PDM wants to be sacked have already served out half of their constitutional term. The opposition will not be able to bring about any ‘revolution’ during the next couple of months because of the upcoming month of Ramadan. Thereafter traditional unbearable summer will make any long march or sit-in very difficult, if not impossible. 

The Punjab government also plans to hold the local government elections during the current year, changing the political situation in the province. Since all parties will be making efforts to win maximum seats, who will be able to spare time for the opposition activities? 

The government can set the schedule of these elections in a way that the opposition plans are torpedoed. 

Another point for the PDM leaders’ consideration is the justification for their members staying in the ‘fake’ assemblies. If the first half of the term can be tolerated for one reason or the other why can’t the opposition wait for the remaining half? 

How will the PDM leaders justify the salaries, allowances and other facilities enjoyed by their ‘honourable members’ while sitting in the ‘fake’ assemblies?  Will it be right to say that whatever they pocketed till now was ‘haram’?  

Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s argument that resignations from the provincial assemblies can be delayed for some time to address the PPP’s reservations holds no water. Very humbly, he can be asked: Is the NA a ‘halal’ legislature while the provincial legislatures are ‘haram’? 

As for the demand for immediate fresh elections, the PDM leaders should not forget Shahid Khaqan Abbasi’s remarks about the term of the PML-N government. 

He was the prime minister when he said in an interview a few days before the completion of his term that his term will complete on May 31, midnight 2018. (He had very emphatically said ‘midnight’.) 

The principle should apply even if a rival party is in power. 

As for desire for peace with India being expressed by Pakistan’s leadership despite the fact that New Delhi is not willing to give the Kashmiris their rights, observers are of the view that the situation demands that the assemblies should stay intact to keep an eye on the unfolding scenario and formulate policies to meet any eventuality.