By Iftikhar Mashwani
The moment PTI made its position on the proposed 28th Constitutional Amendment clear, reportedly adopting the slogan “Our Vote in Exchange for Khan’s Release,” the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) appeared to rediscover the importance of engaging with PTI.
This sudden shift raises serious questions about the PPP’s political calculations and its efforts to preserve its influence in an increasingly uncertain political environment.
The PPP seems increasingly concerned that its political relevance could diminish as the balance of power shifts.
Having distanced itself from Maulana Fazlur Rehman after benefiting from his political role in the campaign that led to the removal of Imran Khan’s government, the party may now be realising that its current political partners could eventually turn against it as well.
Maulana Fazlur Rehman played a significant role in the opposition movement against Imran Khan’s government, with the political backing of Nawaz Sharif and Asif Ali Zardari.
According to political claims, assurances were made to Fazlur Rehman regarding the presidency and influential positions in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, including governorships or government-level arrangements.
However, once political circumstances changed, those assurances appeared to lose their significance. Nawaz Sharif and Zardari seemingly changed their approach, while the establishment also appeared increasingly distant from Fazlur Rehman. As a result, the JUI-F chief found himself politically isolated and increasingly inclined towards cooperation with PTI.
The PPP may now fear that it could face a similar political fate. Having played a role in the political arrangements that weakened PTI, the party may be concerned that once its usefulness to the current power structure diminishes, it too could become a target of shifting political interests.
In this context, its renewed outreach to PTI appears less like a change of political conviction and more like an attempt to secure a political safety net.
This explains the significance of the recent emergency meetings between PTI and PPP delegations. The PPP representatives, including Naveed Qamar, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Sherry Rehman and Nadeem Afzal Chan, reportedly carried a message from Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and invited PTI to rejoin the Electoral Reforms Committee.
The timing of these meetings is particularly interesting. Only recently, PPP leaders had reportedly supported the possibility of imposing Governor’s Rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Yet the same party is now reaching out to PTI in the name of parliamentary cooperation and democratic engagement.
What explains this apparent change of heart?
One possible explanation is that the PPP wants PTI back in parliamentary committees to facilitate political negotiations and create pressure for the withdrawal of any move towards Governor’s Rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Such an arrangement would also allow the PPP to portray itself as a political mediator and claim credit for resolving a crisis that it may have previously helped intensify.
However, the PPP’s biggest concern may lie elsewhere. If PTI decides to support the proposed constitutional amendment or other legislation in exchange for meaningful guarantees regarding Imran Khan’s release, the PPP could lose much of its political bargaining power. Such a development would significantly reduce the party’s importance in future political negotiations.
The PPP also faces a potentially difficult political scenario if its relationship with the establishment deteriorates. Without rebuilding some form of working relationship with PTI, it may have no viable Plan B should it lose its current position in government. But winning PTI’s trust will not be easy.
PTI has not forgotten the political manoeuvres, alleged victimisation and actions against its leadership, including the reported abductions of its members.
The irony is difficult to ignore: political forces that once stood together against PTI are now increasingly looking towards it when their own political interests appear threatened.
The bigger picture is that Pakistan’s political alliances seem increasingly driven by survival rather than principle.
The PPP’s sudden outreach to PTI has exposed the contradictions between its public commitment to democracy and the political calculations behind its actions.
Ultimately, the question is not simply whether the PPP wants dialogue with PTI. It is whether the party genuinely believes in democratic cooperation or is merely trying to protect its political influence before the next major shift in Pakistan’s power dynamics.
