SHAH Mahmood Qureshi is one minister who is taking his job in the government seriously. Most others, it seems, are waiting for the duel with the judges to be settled before they actually start working.

The PML-N ministers hardly come to the Senate, while the PPP cabinet members are also found sleepy and disinterested in proceedings. In such times, Shah Mahmood’s speech on foreign policy was a fresh breather.

It was a daring speech where he declared that the foreign office under him was not subservient to one person as in the past. Actually he was provoked by Mushahid Hussain earlier, saying that the role of the foreign office had diminished over the years. “Yes it did in all those years when Mushahid Saheb’s party was in power,” he retorted sharply. “It was not just the foreign office every other institution was being controlled by one person. Not any longer, sir.” Bold words in times when even his party bosses avoid such insinuations against that one person. He was equally bold in his policy statements. He minced no words in declaring that Pakistan was not subservient to the US, the biggest example of which was that it was pursuing the gas pipeline project with Iran. “We are following our policy of dialogue with militants,” he said. “This is the only way to win the hearts and minds of the people and even Americans are now convinced of our policy.”

He was equally upfront on policy towards India, where “the ongoing peace process will continue;” Afghanistan, where peace was imperative so that we could have peace in Fata and the tribal belt; China, where we need to focus the most to enhance our economic relationship.”

While Shah Mahmood was at his best, the opposition in the Senate is at its worse these days. You cannot blame them as, in topsy turvey politics, you never know who is in the opposition and who is not. This problem has amplified after the so-called defiance by the Chaudharys —Shujaat and Pervaiz — of President Musharraf.

Opposition members wondered how come this was possible, how and why are they doing it; and who is the brains behind it.

Their intellectual guide of course is, once again, dear Mushahid Hussain Syed, who was anointed the party general secretary without having contested any direct elections in his life. But he has read all those books about Mao, Che and Bhutto and has now reportedly convinced Chaudhary Shujaat Hussain that he, could become one of them. If Nawaz Sharif could become a popular leader in opposition, Mushahid is believed to have said, “Chaudhary saab sher banno, karakay kadh dayan gain.”

The Chaudharys, disturbed by all those inquiries being held in Punjab, feel relaxed and have geared up efforts for their political and financial survival. They are holding press conferences almost on a daily basis; friends in the media have been activated to write columns highlighting a new defiant phase of the Chaudharys. But this may not be so easy. They cannot win the hearts and minds of people just by saying a few good things about the judges and lots of bad things about Musharraf. It should take much more than that.

Somehow, the Chaudharys do not fit into the Hollywood role of defiance that Mushahid has woven for them. Mushahid may write speeches for Chaudhary Shujaat on, say, nuclear non-proliferation but he cannot turn him into a deliverer, let alone an orator in the fashion of Mao or Che. Shujaat, we are told, has been found asking who these guys with funny names were.

Also, it is yet to be seen how they will survive without Pervez Musharraf. They could not raise a political party despite the absolute power and independence provided by Musharraf in all these years. Life without Musharraf seems dreadful as they have never suffered the bad side of politics in their record 23 year-stint in power. Pervaiz Elahi has never seen the inside of Adiala or the infamous Attock Fort and how it feels to live in that heat and stench.

Even their closest friends and allies are avoiding meeting them already. Many have come out openly against them, others are expressing muted criticism. The talking machines of PML-Q, the likes of Mahmood Ali Durrani, Tariq Azeem, Khalid Ranjha, are hardly seen active. They come to the Senate like docile sheep baaing in quiet herds on back rows. Even Sheikh Rashid has announced to contest election independently or as chief of his own political party. Nobody wants to commit at this stage where they stand in this fight, if at all it is one, between the president and the Chaudharys.

They are now counting on a possible rift between the PPP and the PML-N. That may also not go in their favour. If the PPP falls apart with the PML-N, goes the theory, it might try to form a government with MQM and PML-Q without the Chaudharys. This might just leave Mushahid Hussain as the sole member in what is likely to become what is called as the ‘tonga party’.If it came down to another elections, that being imminent in case of the coalition falling apart, the Chaudharys may not even win the elections even in stronghold Gujrat. The electoral politics is something where Mushahid sahib cannot guide them or, for that matter, even those guys with funny names.