Former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said on Monday that today the Establishment has no choice but Imran Khan, but it remains a sour truth that the Establishment was engineering the victory or defeat of governments, parties and candidates and therefore we seek a ‘neutral establishment’.
Khaqan was talking in a TV show on Monday night. About the party leader Shehbaz, Khaqan said he had his own opinions. Referring to Shehbaz when during the TV programme, he hinted “to holding feet,” Khaqan termed it to be mere metaphoric.
شہبازشريف کو پاوں پکڑنےکي بات کھلےعام نہيں کرني چاہيےتھي، جھوٹ توبولنا ہي نہيں چاہيےليکن سارا سچ بولنےکي بھي ضرورت نہ تھي،ےجذبات ميں بات کي، ميں انکي طرف سےہاتھ جوڑ کر کہتاہوں غلطي ہوگئي ہے،راناتنويرکو بيانيےميں ابہام لگتاہےتوميں حاضرہوں مجھ سےبات کرليں، شاہد خاقان۔2/2 https://t.co/TBJnGufWrA pic.twitter.com/FOBTE8r6Uy
— Naeem Ashraf Butt (@naeemashrafbut3) July 5, 2021
“Shehbaz makes true and frank observations on many issues and believes in boldly speaking truth, some of which however are not supposed to be made in public. However, I seek due apology on his behalf with folded hands.
Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said it is a fact that the establishment had dislodged the government of Nawaz Sharif and was protecting that of Imran Khan, as currently, Imran Khan was their only option.
As far as the PML-N is concerned, we do not want to enter into power corridors through the backdoor, besides no one is prepared to strike a deal in the current scenario, Abbasi said. This is one of those strange times that the Establishment has run out of cards, he said.
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Shahid Khaqan Abbasi clarified that the neutral establishment is not their demand alone but that of the whole of Pakistan, as the country cannot move ahead without that. All the elections are engineered, stolen and nothing can be done about that, he said.
Shehbaz is known for his pro-establishment in his party. There have been some reports suggesting his differences with Nawaz and Maryam over the nature of the party’s relationship with the country’s powerful establishment. Maryam was leading a segment of the party with the slogan of ‘vote ko izat do.’ She slammed the establishment for political engineering and getting favorable verdicts from courts. However, later on, Shehbaz’s approach appeared to have prevailed as the party not only offered unconditional support to amend the law to give extension in service to the Army Chief but also Maryam went silent.
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“Shehbaz Sharif is the establishment’s, next blue-eyed man. PM Imran is likely to remain in his seat but Shehbaz is certain to have an invisible role to reorganize his party to become a new force in Punjab,” a senior official who spoke on the condition of anonymity told GVS. Analysts in Islamabad are mulling over the question; is PM Imran and his government are aware of what is going on in national politics?