During its first 40 days in power, the Imran Khan government has faced dozens of controversies from free fall of the Rupee to gas price hike and U-turns on some key issues.
Yet, the prime minister’s Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf appears to be confident ahead of October 14 by-elections.
Up for grab will be 37 seats of national and provincial assemblies in Sunday polls.
The depreciation of Pakistani Rupee by 7 percent in just two hours on Tuesday threw the PTI into political troubles.
The government of the party that made it to thee power corridors after 22 years of struggle with winning numbers from July 25 election, has decided seek bailout loans worth $ 7 billion from International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The move has raised fear among the business community which knows that the IMF loans never come without strings. The government is already facing criticism for sudden spike in gas prices. But the PTI has also been making the case that it has inherited troubles from the last PML(N) government.
“We were left with no choice but to allow Pak Rupee weaken against US Dollar; This is a brief period of difficulties; We will definitely come up with long term solution of economic woes,” Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Wednesday.
The PTI, however, may benefit from the clouds that hang over the future of PML(N) of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and PPP of former president Asif Ali Zardari. The PTI government often claims that unlike in the past it is working on the same page with the powerful military.
The PPP has still not come up with a strong leadership on major national and international issues despite an impressive speech by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, who still does not seem to have decision making powers on many issues.
After the arrest of its leader, Shahbaz Sharif, the major opposition party Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz)Â is also bracing for a possible rebellion in its ranks.
With Nawaz Sharif already disqualified from holding any public office after a court conviction in a corruption scam, the party seems to be leaderless.
The National Assembly has 11 seats up for election while provincial assemblies have to elect 26 candidates to fill vacant seats.
An important feature of the voting will be the participation of overseas Pakistanis, who are now able to cast their votes by using any internet-connected device.
The only condition for overseas Pakistani voters is that they must have a National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistani (NICOP), Machine Readable Passport (MRP) and must be registered voters in constituencies where by-elections are set to take place.
Lahorites will elect from amongst ruling PTI and the PML (N) candidates in two constituencies of the national assembly and four of provincial Punjab assembly. The contests in the political stronghold of PML (N) will be a close fight.
The important thing for the PTI will be convince new voters and reassure its supporters that the tough economic and fiscal measures it is taking will benefit the masses in the near future.
