HE PTI-led opposition alliance TTAP appears to have finally brought an initially reluctant Maulana Fazlur Rahman on board. Or perhaps it was the government that drove him there through its unfulfilled promises, and the imposition of emergency and governor’s rule in KP. Certain unkind remarks by a federal minister against the maulana might also have helped him make up his mind. Whatever the reason, the JUI-F chief once again finds himself at the centre of efforts to build a united opposition front. On Wednesday, Maulana Fazlur Rahman and opposition leaders led by Mahmood Khan Achakzai held a meeting during which they agreed to coordinate in parliament and raise a unified voice there. That is a welcome development. After all, an opposition that argues on the floor of the House and in parliamentary committees is much better for the political system than one that simply protests on the streets. The opposition must now show that it is willing to engage with the government on essential national issues ranging from electoral reforms to economic priorities. Doing so would place it in a better position to hold the rulers to account for governance failures. A dialogue anchored in legislative debate rather than street agitation offers the only viable path towards mutual concessions, institutional stability, and a way out of the current impasse. Politics is, after all, an exercise in give-and-take.
That said, the reality is that the government has given the opposition little reason to engage with it. In fact, it has been justifiably criticised for shrinking the political space for its opponents by passing questionable laws, jailing opposition politicians, and intimidating dissenters. The government’s treatment of dissent as a threat to be contained both inside and outside parliament has understandably left the opposition with little faith in any overture. So the first genuinely conciliatory move must come from the government, which must go beyond its usual rhetoric of being open to talks. Easing pressure on opponents will lessen suspicions and help build trust. The opposition has to reconsider its strategy too. Demonstrations have brought only arrests and little else; each street protest has allowed the government to highlight the issue as a law and order challenge. The government must extend the olive branch, and the opposition should be sensible enough to grasp it.