LAHORE, Jan 10: With flour, power, gas and law and order crises worsening, former ruling party Pakistan Muslim League-Q runs the risk of its election slogan ‘five-year of model development’ boomeranging on it, say political analysts.

But party leaders, who do concede that circumstances are not favourable for them, differ with analysts on prevailing situation’s effects on election results.

The party ran a massive media campaign prior to the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, basing it exclusively on, what it called “half a decade of massive development.” Of late, it has restarted efforts to re-cast itself in a role of “model of development and financial management.”

But, analysts say the party will have hard time convincing its voters in its favour with other socio-economic crises deepening by the day.

“The PML-Q is taking a very narrow view of development agenda,” says Rasool Bakhsh Raees - a noted academician and political analyst. “It (the development agenda) should include socio-economic change in the country. Making a few roads here and there and constructing buildings can hardly be taken as a massive development,” he says. These are normal things and are part of every annual development plan of any government. With country knee deep in multiple crises, it will be ‘virtually impossible’ for the party to convince people about development in the country, he believes.

The election, he says, will be held on a national agenda, because the country is facing crisis in all sectors, be it power, flour, gas or law and order. “This is where the PML-Q agenda does not fit in. Its individual candidates may get vote, and get elected. But, the PML-Q, as a party, will not be able to get votes on the basis of its development agenda,” Raees insists.

Admitting the prevalence of these negative factors, PML-Q provincial secretary Chaudhry Zaheeruddin says the party will educate its candidates to counter opposition propaganda on these subjects. “The crises may affect the overall image of the party, but their effects can be avoided by constantly reminding people that the party has served them better for five years, better than all previous political governments put together.”

Zaheer says it is unfair to blame the PML-Q for the ills the country is facing right now. “Since the party is no more in the government, it will be unfair to hold it responsible for the current crises. It managed all these issues when it was in power, but it was out of government and must be treated as such.”

Columnist Shafqat Mahmood says the PML-Q is grossly mistaken as far as its development agenda is concerned.