A SWOT analysis of the Pakistan’s mainstream political stake holders keeping in view their manifestos, performances and contribution towards a progressive and prosperous Pakistan post 2007:
PML-N
Strengths
• Successful communication and infrastructure projects.
• Largest mandate in the country.
• The cabinet under PM ShahidKhaqanAbbasi has started producing relatively better results.
Weaknesses
• Punjab centric politics with no considerable presence in Sindh and KPK.
• The Sharif family trial has badly marred the credibility of PML-N.
Opportunities
• After having delivered in Punjab, PML-N must spread out to other provinces specifically Sindh where the PPP government has failed to deliver and voters are eagerly looking forward to a suitable alternative.
• The party has a chance to re-organize it’s hierarchy with a new set of leaders now that the Sharif family is surrounded by a plethora of corruption charges.
Threats
• PTI has started cementing it’s position in Punjab and is aggressively reaching out to the people of Sindh to fill the political vacuum that exists. This is a direct threat to the electoral future of PML-N.
Pakistan People’s Party
Strengths
• The legacy of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, the greatest leader this country ever produced.
• PPP has some seasoned and respectable politicians within it’s ranks.
• They have a strong presence in Rural Sindh where the voters have blind faith in Bhutto’s party.
Weaknesses
• PPP has failed to deliver on a number of fronts. The party is mostly viewed as corrupt and inefficient. No sincere efforts have been undertaken to remove this perception.
Opportunities
• The PPP chairman, Bilawalzardari is young, fresh and is yet to launch himself as a promising alternative to the otherwise dubious and sketchy leadership that is running the affairs of Bhutto’s party.
If he can promote relatively clean, honorable and seasoned politicians from within his party’s ranks to the top tier, improve the roads, sanitation, education , health and infrastructure in the province of Sindh and re-position PPP as a progressive political entity rather than relying on the classic Bhutto vote bank, this party can do wonders overnight.
Threats
• True PPP stalwarts have been sidelined by a power circle that exists in the party. With no development and progress to their credit, PPP has lost it’s base in Punjab, KPK and Baluchistan.
PTI’s growing popularity, alliances and aggressive political campaigns in Sindh have started to challenge the very foundations on which Bhutto’s party is surviving.
PAKISTAN TEHREEK-E-INSAF (PTI)
Strengths
• More than 2 decades of political struggle to their credit.
• The only political entity that got the accountability process initiated through it’s street protests and.
• Imran Khan’s charisma, his corruption free political career and PTI’s performance in KPK are the main components behind PTI’s rapid success and popularity.
• The only party that is being dubbed as the “next big thing” to dent the PPP vote bank in Sindh and PML-N vote bank in Punjab.
Weaknesses
• There is an absence of discipline within the party ranks. This remains a cause of concern for Imran Khan and his team.
• PTI hasn’t been able to penetrate the Karachi electoral base due to an absence of Karachi centric political manifesto and a lackluster approach towards resolving the issues faced by Karachiites.
Opportunities
• PPP’s failure in Sindh has created a political vacuum and the only party that could fill this void is Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf.
• The party is at the peak of it’s popularity due to it’s solid stand on accountability.
• With an imminent collapse of the Sharif empire, PTI can now expect major defections from within the PML-N which will pave way for the party to grab hold of the province of Punjab.
Threats:
• PTI has threats from within it’s hierarchy with rogue members trying to defame the party on main stream news channels every now and then.
MUTTAHIDA QAUMI MOVEMENT (PAKISTAN)
Strengths
• MQM(P) enjoys a major chunk of the Urdu speaking vote bank in Karachi and Hyderabad.
• With no other alternative, the urdu speaking community considers them as their sole representatives in Sindh.
Weaknesses
• Their past association with Altaf Hussain still haunts their existence on the political map of Pakistan.
• They haven’t been able to serve the city like they did prior to 2007 when Mustafa Kamal was the mayor of Karachi.
• Major defections are going on.
Opportunities
• After parting their ways with MQM(London) and the associated militancy that was exclusive to “London group”, MQM (P) has an excellent opportunity to re-organize and re-position the party and work towards mending ties with the community by serving the city of Karachi.
Once they restore public confidence by playing positive politics, MQM (p) will surely be able to re-capture it’s lost glory.
Threats
• PSP is fast gaining grounds and is appealing to a major chunk of ex-MQMers who had parted their ways due to several reasons.
The charisma of Mustafa Kamal and his heavy duty profile is working as a unifying factor to bring disgruntled party workers into his fold. This is a major threat to the existence of MQM(P).
