News Analysis |
Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Shehbaz Sharif is expected to become acting president of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). Ousted Prime Minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif held a lengthy meeting with his younger brother at Raiwind residence yesterday, where both discussed the issues faced by the beleaguered party.
PML-N is expected to hold a Central Working Council (CWC) meeting in Lahore tomorrow at the PML-N Secretariat, where the new acting president will be elected. Moreover, the party is set to announce the date for the PML-N General Council meeting, which will more likely be after the Senate elections.
CWC is primarily called to nominate an acting president as per the party constitution until a new party chief is formally elected within 45 days after the ousting of Nawaz as party supremo. The party president will be elected by the party’s General Council comprising of more than 16,00 councils.
The war of words continues between the political foes as they aim to discredit each other’s work. House of Nawaz is looking to avenge the outing using ballots and Imran is attempting to expose Shehbaz to the sham house of Sharif over alleged corruption.
Shehbaz Sharif previously presided the party for three consecutive terms from 2002 to 2011, when Nawaz Sharif was in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, post a deal with General Pervez Musharraf. It is expected that Shehbaz Sharif will be elected the new president of PML-N, contrary to the reports floating in the media. Gossip mills and speculators had hinted at Kulsoom Nawaz becoming the next party chief but that seems unlikely given the new developments.
Some reports also emerged which hinted at the promotion of the PML-N Senior Vice President Yaqoob Khan Nasar as a party president, since he was given the party presidency after ousting of Nawaz. But, these reports were downplayed by numerous sources and private TV channels which stressed on the possibility of Shehbaz being given the leadership of the party, given the permanency of the position, which was not case when Yaqoob was made president, because the party was aware of the fact that Nawaz will be re-elected party president.
Read more: Shehbaz Sharif delivers angry speech after NAB hearing
The chances of that happening are minimal now after Nawaz’s most recent disqualification and no such come back seems possible for the ousted prime minister. The most likely president [Shehbaz] of PML-N criticized PTI chairman Imran Khan and labeled him a captain of liars, after meeting his party delegation on Sunday. He accused Imran Khan of promoting indecent politics and abusive culture in the country. The negative politics of Khan based on lies will not work, he added.
He also attacked PTI’s KP performance, terming it poor and lamented Khan for hurling baseless corruption allegations at him, which in reality exposed him in front of people. Today, after the ATC and Parliament attack hearing, Khan rebutted and declared him [Shehbaz] ‘Chota don’ and demanded an inquiry into Shehbaz Sharif receiving profits from mega projects.
It claims of a targeted attack on the family from opponents. Khan calls it accountability after decades of rule in Punjab. Whatever the route the public takes and whoever has set up this nefarious design; whether Khan or Sharif will win will remain anybody’s guess, until the public announces its decision in the 2018 elections.
He further said, ‘Nawaz was caught in Panama case, and the Chota don [Shehbaz] has been caught by China’s regulatory authorities’. The Sharif family is under pressure over the multiple issues facing the party. The current meeting was aimed at discussing the strategy to tackle the challenges and to formulate a winning formula for the upcoming Senate and general elections.
PML-N feels hard done by the Supreme Court decision to declare all of Nawaz’s decisions since disqualification taken as party head null and void, which led to no representation of a party in the upcoming March 3 senate elections.
Read more: Shehbaz to rule Pakistan next: Musharraf
PML-N is aware of Nawaz’s popularity and certain political circles questioned Maryam Nawaz’s insistence that Nawaz will be the next PM, which is practically impossible now. But, PML-N senior leadership is of the view that the party intends to include Nawaz in the party manifesto in such a way that voting for PML-N means voting for Nawaz.
In other words, it is the best way to boost party votes using the ‘victimization platform’. The party believes that a single person is being targeted and efforts are primarily being made to oust Nawaz from politics. But Nawaz remains the party’s de facto leader. He is expected to represent the party informally. The party’s senior leadership is in the process to discuss the strategy to bring Nawaz at the forefront of PML-N politics.
CWC is primarily called to nominate an acting president as per the party constitution until a new party chief is formally elected within 45 days after the ousting of Nawaz as party supremo.
The war of words continues between the political foes as they aim to discredit each other’s work. House of Nawaz is looking to avenge the outing using ballots and Imran is attempting to expose Shehbaz to the sham house of Sharif over alleged corruption.
Read more: What is Nawaz Sharif’s “Narrative”?
The country remains divided on the issues of Nawaz. Masses continue to back him, which is evident by polls across Punjab. Imran’s lack of strategy post-Nawaz’s ‘mujhay kyun nikal’ slogan is apparent. After NAB’s crackdown on public servants, Khan is trying to take advantage of the situation and accused the Sharif’s of corruption using alleged corruption of top bureaucratic officials.
PML-N cries foul. It claims of a targeted attack on the family from opponents. Khan calls it accountability after decades of rule in Punjab. Whatever the route the public takes and whoever has set up this nefarious design; whether Khan or Sharif will win will remain anybody’s guess, until the public announces its decision in the 2018 elections.