It appears that PML-N, the biggest opposition party in the country, has lost the will to stay relevant to national politics. Following the COVID-19 outbreak, observers have been asking: What is PML-N’s position on critical issues of dealing with the pandemic? Does it favor the lockdown? Is it in agreement with the ‘smart lockdown’ policy of the government? Would things be different if PML-N were ruling the country in this situation? Beyond the customary statements, we don’t know.
Forget the lockdown. When was the last time Shehbaz Sharif issued a fiery statement, censuring the government, checking its battalion of spokespersons on government's policy blunders? When was the last time the younger Sharif addressed a public meeting of the party? Or requisitioned the national assembly meeting?
In short, when was the last time Shehbaz Sharif played his role as the opposition leader?
It’s baffling how Shehbaz Sharif has rendered the biggest electoral machine of the country ineffective merely 3 years after assuming its leadership.
Reporter and analyst, Habib Akram, believes that there’s not much wrong with Shehbaz Sharif’s understanding of the situation. “No government loses public support in just two years. PML-N is a big party and mobilising workers won’t be a problem, once it decides to launch a campaign against the PTI government. But it is not the right time for action for any opposition party”, he said while talking to NayaDaur.
However, others disagree with Akram. Some analysts hold that the main reason behind PML-N’s inaction is the internal struggle between Maryam and Shehbaz. Party insiders say that Maryam isn’t happy with her uncle’s politics. She favours a more aggressive style of opposition and believes that Shehbaz Sharif’s ‘pro-establishment’ brand of politics is not workable anymore. On the other hand, Shehbaz Sharif, one of the most senior politicians in the country with 27 years of parliamentary experience and demonstrated administrative capability, still believes that he can make things work in his favour. The bitter power struggle has divided the party into two groups.
The party stalwarts considered close to Shehbaz Sharif are Rana Tanvir Hussain from Rawalpindi and former Minister for Foreign Affairs Khawaja Muhammad Asif. Former PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi is reportedly in the Maryam-camp, while most other party leaders are unwilling to take a clear side at this juncture. This ‘non-aligned’ group is being led by former Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal, former Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafiq and the president of the party’s Punjab chapter Rana Sanaullah.
A senior political analyst, talking on the condition of anonymity, told NayaDaur that there are only two senior politicians in Shehbaz camp while the rest are all ‘technocrat-types’. Rana Tanvir is in the Shehbaz Sharif-camp because he enjoys close ties with the establishment. Khawaja Asif, on the other hand, is a genuine politician with strong roots in his constituency, but he’s not willing to take the establishment on. “There are corruption cases against his family members and he doesn’t want his son and wife to get into trouble because of him”.
While the commitment of Rana Tanvir and Khawaja Asif to Shehbaz’s cause is questionable, party members express serious concerns over Shahid Khaqan Abbasi’s ambitions as well. Asma Shirazi, in her recent column for BBC Urdu, hinted at Abbasi trying to act as a bridge between Maryam Nawaz and the establishment. But Naya Daur has learned from its sources inside PML-N that during a party meeting, presided over by Shahid Khaqan Abbasi in March 2020 at the Parliament House, one of the senior members while talking about Maryam Nawaz, referred to her as ‘PML-N’s future Sonia Gandhi’.
Party sources believe that ‘Sonia Gandhi’ is another name for the infamous ‘minus-one formula’, under which PML-N might come to power where no member of the Sharif family would hold a key position.
“Shahid Khaqan Abbasi ran the government quite efficiently after Nawaz Sharif’s disqualification in 2017, and if someone from the party, but not from Sharif family, exhibits similar skill in ruling Punjab, that will be the end of Sharif dynasty. While it seems good for the evolution of democracy in Pakistan, let’s not forget that this party can only remain intact as long as the Sharifs are lording over it. Once we reach the Sonia Gandhi stage, the inevitable next step is Rahul Gandhi”, a party member said while talking to NayaDaur on the condition of anonymity.
Senior analyst and writer, Wajahat Masood, does not agree, though. “The Shahid Khaqan Abbasi people know since 1999 will not ditch Nawaz Sharif”, he said while talking to NayaDaur. “He’s been Pakistan’s Prime Minister. There’s no position above it in this country. Then why would he backstab his leader? The struggle in PML-N is not between Nawaz Sharif and Shehbaz Sharif. It is between the Muslim League’s DNA and the narrative Nawaz Sharif has adopted”, he said.
Masood added that most of the electables currently with PML-N are the ones who didn’t get a ticket from PTI in the 2018 elections. “The rest are still with PML-N because they know they can’t win without Nawaz Sharif’s backing. Most PML-N leaders agree with Shehbaz Sharif’s narrative but they can’t openly denounce Nawaz and Maryam because the voter stands behind Nawaz”, he said.
“This is a fight between PML-N workers and Muslim League’s DNA. Shehbaz Sharif is doing what Muslim League’s DNA dictates him to do but Nawaz Sharif’s voter is revolting against this collapsing order”.
Forget the lockdown. When was the last time Shehbaz Sharif issued a fiery statement, censuring the government, checking its battalion of spokespersons on government's policy blunders? When was the last time the younger Sharif addressed a public meeting of the party? Or requisitioned the national assembly meeting?
In short, when was the last time Shehbaz Sharif played his role as the opposition leader?
It’s baffling how Shehbaz Sharif has rendered the biggest electoral machine of the country ineffective merely 3 years after assuming its leadership.
Reporter and analyst, Habib Akram, believes that there’s not much wrong with Shehbaz Sharif’s understanding of the situation. “No government loses public support in just two years. PML-N is a big party and mobilising workers won’t be a problem, once it decides to launch a campaign against the PTI government. But it is not the right time for action for any opposition party”, he said while talking to NayaDaur.
However, others disagree with Akram. Some analysts hold that the main reason behind PML-N’s inaction is the internal struggle between Maryam and Shehbaz. Party insiders say that Maryam isn’t happy with her uncle’s politics. She favours a more aggressive style of opposition and believes that Shehbaz Sharif’s ‘pro-establishment’ brand of politics is not workable anymore. On the other hand, Shehbaz Sharif, one of the most senior politicians in the country with 27 years of parliamentary experience and demonstrated administrative capability, still believes that he can make things work in his favour. The bitter power struggle has divided the party into two groups.
The party stalwarts considered close to Shehbaz Sharif are Rana Tanvir Hussain from Rawalpindi and former Minister for Foreign Affairs Khawaja Muhammad Asif. Former PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi is reportedly in the Maryam-camp, while most other party leaders are unwilling to take a clear side at this juncture. This ‘non-aligned’ group is being led by former Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal, former Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafiq and the president of the party’s Punjab chapter Rana Sanaullah.
A senior political analyst, talking on the condition of anonymity, told NayaDaur that there are only two senior politicians in Shehbaz camp while the rest are all ‘technocrat-types’. Rana Tanvir is in the Shehbaz Sharif-camp because he enjoys close ties with the establishment. Khawaja Asif, on the other hand, is a genuine politician with strong roots in his constituency, but he’s not willing to take the establishment on. “There are corruption cases against his family members and he doesn’t want his son and wife to get into trouble because of him”.
While the commitment of Rana Tanvir and Khawaja Asif to Shehbaz’s cause is questionable, party members express serious concerns over Shahid Khaqan Abbasi’s ambitions as well. Asma Shirazi, in her recent column for BBC Urdu, hinted at Abbasi trying to act as a bridge between Maryam Nawaz and the establishment. But Naya Daur has learned from its sources inside PML-N that during a party meeting, presided over by Shahid Khaqan Abbasi in March 2020 at the Parliament House, one of the senior members while talking about Maryam Nawaz, referred to her as ‘PML-N’s future Sonia Gandhi’.
Party sources believe that ‘Sonia Gandhi’ is another name for the infamous ‘minus-one formula’, under which PML-N might come to power where no member of the Sharif family would hold a key position.
“Shahid Khaqan Abbasi ran the government quite efficiently after Nawaz Sharif’s disqualification in 2017, and if someone from the party, but not from Sharif family, exhibits similar skill in ruling Punjab, that will be the end of Sharif dynasty. While it seems good for the evolution of democracy in Pakistan, let’s not forget that this party can only remain intact as long as the Sharifs are lording over it. Once we reach the Sonia Gandhi stage, the inevitable next step is Rahul Gandhi”, a party member said while talking to NayaDaur on the condition of anonymity.
Senior analyst and writer, Wajahat Masood, does not agree, though. “The Shahid Khaqan Abbasi people know since 1999 will not ditch Nawaz Sharif”, he said while talking to NayaDaur. “He’s been Pakistan’s Prime Minister. There’s no position above it in this country. Then why would he backstab his leader? The struggle in PML-N is not between Nawaz Sharif and Shehbaz Sharif. It is between the Muslim League’s DNA and the narrative Nawaz Sharif has adopted”, he said.
Masood added that most of the electables currently with PML-N are the ones who didn’t get a ticket from PTI in the 2018 elections. “The rest are still with PML-N because they know they can’t win without Nawaz Sharif’s backing. Most PML-N leaders agree with Shehbaz Sharif’s narrative but they can’t openly denounce Nawaz and Maryam because the voter stands behind Nawaz”, he said.
“This is a fight between PML-N workers and Muslim League’s DNA. Shehbaz Sharif is doing what Muslim League’s DNA dictates him to do but Nawaz Sharif’s voter is revolting against this collapsing order”.