Zardari was never popular, infact he was so unpopular that he is widely held responsible by majority of people including his own party men for taking down Benazir Bhutto's government on both occasions. In both instances, he was accused of massive corruption. After death of Benazir, he has led PPP and been able to form coalition government but he is still deeply unpopular and totally unaware of popular politics. Infact, his party men including his MNA's and MPA's can not go back to their people and ask for their votes in his name which was what they used to do previously. In Benazir's time, PPP candidates used to get votes by using Bhutto's name which is no longer possible.
On the other hand, Nawaz Sharif is widely popular. His popularity is on such high that in vast number of constituencies in urban Pakistan he can field any unknown person against a well established candidate and defeat the opposing candidate by wide margins. In these circumstances, the most dangerous step that Zardari has taken against himself and his party is inviting street agitation by forcefully removing Punjab government of Nawaz Sharif's party and also failing to submit to popular demand for reinstatement of chief justice Iftikhar Chudhary.
It is suspected that most of his own party MNA/MPA are so much disappointed with him that a revolt within people's party is only matter of time. He has been openly criticizing and now expelling his opponents within his own party. While at the same time, his MP's know very well that they can't win next elections with Zardari as their party chief. Still party discipline and fear of jumping first is stopping parliamentarians from revolting against him. But when the going gets tough next month with long march and wide spread agitation in Punjab and elsewhere then Zardari will definitely loose control over the government and over his own party. Let's hope that Zardari chooses wise and graceful options otherwise Pakistan's descent into chaos is guaranteed.
