LAHORE: The NA-122 election is going to give rise to the “conflict politics” in the country, especially in Punjab and ultimate loser will be the ruling party.

“The government will not fall if Sardar Ayaz Sadiq loses. But even if he wins the conflict politics will rise between the ruling PML-N and opposition PTI,” known political and defense analyst Dr Hasan Askari told Dawn on Saturday.

Dr Askari believes that this by-election has polarised Lahore and its impact will shape up the future politics in Pakistan, especially in Punjab. “The PML-N had to respond to the PTI election tempo with the same force without considering it is in the government, thus exposing the city to risk of violent clashes. Now how the party workers of the both parties react during the polling and after the result will be any body’s guess but the political leaderships should not have taken their tampers too high,” he said.

On the other hand, Dr Askari says the overall impact of the NA-122 election would benefit the opposition and result in further weakening of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and company. “Rise of conflict between the government and opposition (PTI) will further weaken the former. After this election the PTI will not rest and continue putting pressure on the government over one issue or other and ultimately the establishment will get strengthened because of this,” he said, adding the conflict politics would be damaging for the politicians and they must realise this.

Dr Askari further says the government should have avoided indulging in conflict politics and shown maturity in controlling tampers in this by-poll. “But perhaps it had the fear that if it failed to match the PTI tempo of electioneering it might lose,” he said.

Known journalist and analyst Sohail Warraich told Dawn that confrontation between the government and PTI would rise after NA-122 elections.

“This election has become a make-or-break issue for the PML-N. It cannot afford to lose. If it loses it will also lose the moral ground to justify its 2013 election mandate. In politics moral ground matters more than any thing. The government will not fall if the PML-N candidate loses but it will altogether change the political scenario, especially in Punjab, where local body elections are approaching,” he said.

Mr Warraich said the rise of confrontation in the wake of the NA-122 election would ultimate weaken democracy and the politicians should be aware of this.

Published in Dawn, October 11th , 2015

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