News Analysis |
On Tuesday, five PML-N lawmakers submitted resignations to their respective assembly secretariats in protest over government inaction against Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah.
Sources have revealed that tension was running high among the PML-N leadership, which was forced to defend Sanaullah over his controversial interview and subsequent standoff with Pir Hameeduddin Sialvi.
The leaders, according to the sources, are of the view that Sanaullah should have tried to address Sialvi’s concerns after the Punjab government had sent two delegations to the Pir of Sial Sharif in November, assuring him of an amicable solution to the issue.
Nawaz Sharif held sway over the party and remained the de-facto Prime Minister of the country. He still had the power to call the shots and control the dissidents within the party.
c The defense of Rana Sanaullah by top leadership has also infuriated party members and workers.
Rana Sanaullah is already under pressure due to the abrupt release of Bakir Najfi Report, which indicates his involvement in the killing of PAT workers in Model Town Lahore in 2014. The report also points towards the complicity of Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif in these killings. However, the onus of responsibility has fallen on the incumbent Punjab Law Minister.
Read more: PML-N’s sheer incompetence
Soon after the Panama Judgment, which disqualified former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, analysts predicted the divisions within the ruling party. Much to the dismay of the opponents, the ruling party remained united and re-elected Nawaz Sharif as the head of PML-N by amending the Elections Act.
It was during this amendment that the issue of Khatam-e-Nubuwat surfaced when has now resulted in the resignation of several party leaders.
Political analysts have opined that this religious issue is expected to damage PML-N considerably due to multifaceted reasons. Prime being that despite being disqualified, Nawaz Sharif held sway over the party and remained the de-facto Prime Minister of the country. He still had the power to call the shots and control the dissidents within the party.
Nawaz Sharif held sway over the party and remained the de-facto Prime Minister of the country. He still had the power to call the shots and control the dissidents within the party.
However, after the initiation of NAB references, the removal of Ishaq Dar from the political scene and the release of Bakir Najfi report, which resulted in the weakening of Shehbaz Sharif, Nawaz Sharif has lost the unchallenged control over the party and is unable to control the dissidents anymore.
They added that the PML-N vote bank consists largely of a conservative section of Pakistani society and this issue has damaged the image of the party as a religious and progressive entity.
Read more: Khatam-e-Nabuwat crisis continues for PML-N
Fearing for their vote bank, many MPA’s and MNA’s have decided to leave PML-N. Analysts have predicted that more desertions cannot be ruled out.