Waqas Shabbir |
A picture of Shehbaz which went viral in the social media, which reminds one of Arash’s famous hit:
I’m so lonely broken angel,
I’m so lonely listen to my heart,
Come n’ save me,
before I fall apart.
The writing is on the wall for PML-N in Punjab and the only person who paid no heed and instead focused on his personal reprisal is his brother Nawaz Sharif.
This picture is the perfect portrayal of the loneliness, which Shehbaz is enduring at the top. Despite being the president of the party, he is not at the helm, after all. Despite disqualification, Nawaz continues to run the party.
PML-N rules Chiniot with three MNA’s and four MPA seats; all occupied by Shehbaz led party.
It was not too long ago that he (Shehbaz) never even bothered to personally speak to the provincial legislators from his own party. He was too busy for them and Hamza was bestowed with the right to keep them at their place.
Read more: Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif?
Abandoned Shehbaz, having seen the speed with which the party leaders are deserting PML-N, raised his voice many a time to show solidarity with Khalai Makhloq [aliens]. But, egoistic Nawaz paid no heed to it. He is not bothered to safeguard the future of his brother whose dream to rule Pakistan is apparently in tatters, at the cost of his (Nawaz’s) children and wealth stashed abroad.
Nawaz knows well, according to newly passed legislation in the United Kingdom, any conviction in Pakistan may result in prosecution in England and hoarded wealth could end up in Pakistani coffers.
Resultantly, he is busy building a case which can prove that he is a victim of political vengeance, where Pakistan’s military establishment played a villain.
Plunging fortunes of once undisputed king of Punjab is perfectly demonstrated in this picture. A man so powerful that he could sack anyone, anywhere over incompetence or failure to follow his orders especially when under the camera eye/glare was seen so helpless.
Once, potential lawmakers used to wait for hours to meet him even for a couple of minutes to present their problems and today, his own party’s sitting legislators failed to turn up to even greet their once-beloved CM Punjab in Chiniote. What a remarkable change of fortunes?
Shehbaz feared this day. This is why he opposed the confrontational policy of his brother and publicly praised the COAS for being professional and straightforward. He persuaded his brother to respect and honor the all-powerful military’s efforts in safeguarding national interests.
Read more: Is Shahbaz Sharif diverting public attention from divisions within PML-N?
Shehbaz repeatedly attempted to extend an olive branch towards the military establishment and stressed that military should work along with the civilian administration against the challenges facing the economically- beleaguered country.
But Nawaz took a different course. Civil supremacy has been his single point agenda since his efforts to secure NRO-II have apparently faltered.
The in-fight within the house of Sharif and Nawaz’s negative rhetoric against the military establishment, especially after his claims that Pakistan was responsible for the 2008 Mumbai attacks; badly damaged party’s political ambitions in Punjab.
The local leadership boycotted his visit. The absence of one legislator of national assembly and two from provincial assembly became a major source of embarrassment for the party head only a couple of months before the elections.
Though, Ghulam Bibi Bharwana- whose constituency comprises of some areas of Jhang and Chiniote had switched to PML-N in 2013 elections; earlier this month, she was one the ten-high profile entrants from the Jhang region to ditch PML-N for PTI.
Read more: Down & dirty: Battle between PML-N & PTI for 2018 elections
Though, MPA Maulana Ilyas Chinioti, Muhammad Saqlain Anwar Sipra, and Maulana Rehmat Ullah did come to attend the event, MNAs Qaisar Ahmad Sheikh, Mehr Ghulam Muhammad Lali, and MPA Imtiaz Ahmed Lali did not turn up to grace the occasion.
It is believed that some of these lawmakers are on verge of defection to PTI and have not been happy over Punjab government’s lack of interest in the region where it failed to provide funds for construction of the district complex and a dual carriageway project.
The end game in Punjab, which Shehbaz feared badly is knocking the door. The glasses may have covered the embarrassment in CM’s eyes, but, it cannot hide the national embarrassment he suffered at the hands of his own legislators who respected him once.
The stage has come for Shehbaz as Bulleh Shah had said,
O Bulleh Shah lets go to a place where everyone is blind
Where no one knows our caste and
Neither does anyone holds me in high respect
O Bulleh Shah lets go to a place where everyone is blind
Waqas Shabbir is a Derby Business School graduate in Finance, currently working as a freelance writer. The views expressed in this article are author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Global Village Space.