ISLAMABAD: With the unveiling of the judicial commission report, yesterday, one question dominated discussions: how were its findings going to impact Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf (PTI)?
Now that the party’s sweeping allegations of widespread rigging in the 2013 elections have been dismissed by the commission, will the PTI’s popularity suffer a knock from which it will not recover?
This is what yesterday evening’s discussions seemed to imply. Many opposition politicians and commentators lashed out at the PTI for making unverified allegations; there were endless requests for Imran Khan to apologise to the nation for making allegations without proof and for wasting people’s time by holding a sit-in.
Undoubtedly, many observers agree that the JC’s response to the three Terms of References (ToRs) in the conclusion of the report has served a severe blow to the popularity of the PTI chairman, who relentlessly clamored that the last general elections were rigged and then failed to provide any proof.
However, this observation came with a caveat that despite its follies over the alleged rigging and the dharna, in Punjab the PTI will continue to be the main contender to power and the major rival to the PML-N.
With the PPP still struggling to figure out its role in the Punjab, the PTI is providing the only opposition to the ruling party. And this was brought home by the recent defections of some PPP members to the PTI.
The PML-N also recognises this. Senior PML-N leaders in their private meetings accept that their political battles - for the time being - will be fought against the PTI.
A senior office bearer of the ruling PML-N said that the party expected a serious challenge from the PTI in the coming local government elections, “We have already started organizing the party for the contest.”
For Rasul Bakhsh Rais, the “dharna was a historic effort that allowed Khan and his party to send his political message across the country. It helped transform PTI into a national level party.”
Internews
