Occam's razor.

Byline: Arifa Noor

WHEN the cat is away the mice will play, goes the English proverb. Politics in Pakistan is no different. Now that the big issues have been done and dusted - from occupied Kashmir to the extension - the little ones can afford to throw a tantrum about their unaddressed issues. Especially, as they behaved so well when the grownup problems were being sorted out; they deserve a 'sweet' for sitting quietly then and doing as they were told.

So suddenly, from the PML-Q to the MQM to the GDA, everyone has found their voice and their list of complaints.

The MQM feels enough is enough and Karachi and other urban centres in Sindh need their fair share of power and resources from the centre as well as from the province via the strengthening of the local government law. And then they also gently point out that attention needs to be paid to their missing workers and (forcibly) closed offices. The latter may not be something in the control of the PTI but surely it could do something. Put in a word in a powerful ear, perhaps.

The BNP-M has remembered its six-point agenda once again. It includes missing people, development work such as dams in the province as well as legislation to ensure that Gwadar's demography does not change. However, it should be remembered that the party has continuously brought up these issues, especially when the PTI needs the numbers in parliament and gets whatever little bit it can on these occasions.

The GDA too feels that they aren't consulted enough.

If someone, somewhere has decided to send the PTI packing, then why not pull the bandage off in one go?

The PML-Q perhaps is the one party which may have complaints which are slightly new - while they worry about governance, they are just a bit cut up about the new arrangement in Punjab where they may no longer enjoy all the power in the three districts that Usman Buzdar had let them control generously in the recent past. In a new bid to govern the largest province, Imran Khan has given all powers to the newly appointed chief secretary and IG police; rumour has it that Wasim Akram-plus has been told to focus on his walks in Governor House and an occasional swim. But the shift of power hasn't gone down well with the Chaudhries and even some PTI parliamentarians all of whom had been spoilt rotten by the chief minister who signed transfers and postings faster than they could make recommendations. They want to go back to the bad old days of Buzdar where patronage...