ISLAMABAD: The Sharif brothers - Nawaz and Shehbaz - are finally on the same page are said to be of the view that PML-N must abandon the aggressive hard line taken by Maryam Nawaz that cost the party seats in the recently held Azad Jammu and Kashmir general elections and the by-election in Sialkot, a PML-N lawmaker told Business Recorder on strict condition of anonymity.
Maryam Nawaz was given free rein in these recent elections with no overt support from Shehbaz Sharif or Hamza Shehbaz and while crowds gathered at her jalsas yet that did not translate into votes, the source further contended.
In lieu of her performance in the recent polls her father has instructed her to keep a low-profile, evident from her silence after the polls results, with Shehbaz Sharif given the task to lead the party into the 2023 elections which would require not only some form of rapprochement with the security establishment but also someone privy to constitutional politics in which Maryam is a “novice” and her cousin Hamza an old hand.
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Another point of difference between Shehbaz Sharif and his niece is that for all his past anti-Zardari rhetoric, the former has toned down his remarks with respect to the PPP since he was granted bail while Maryam Nawaz, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Ahsan Iqbal have been vigorous in their demands for the PPP to respond to the show cause notice sent from the forum of the Pakistan Democratic Movement – a notice that was publicly torn up by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.
Shehbaz Sharif is in all probability embarked on a two-pronged strategy: to mend fences with the establishment while developing a working relationship with the PPP in parliament. If he achieves these twin goals then PML-N would be in a position to challenge the incumbent PTI in 2023 elections. If he fails then there is no possibility of a PML-N victory in 2023 and it is doubtful if the majority of PML-N parliamentarians would be willing to sit out yet another term in the opposition.
Speaking to Business Recorder, President PML-N Punjab chapter Rana Sanaullah denied that Maryam has been sidelined by Shehbaz. “In the first place, Shehbaz Sharif is party President and Maryam Nawaz is Vice President. So, this argument that Shehbaz has been placed at the helm and she has been sidelined is devoid of logic. They both have different party portfolios and different responsibilities,” he maintained.
To a query, Sanaullah, one of the most trusted aides of Shehbaz, said, “It would be extremely unfair to blame Maryam Nawaz for AJK general election results. Those were all rigged results. Had there been free and fair polls, you would have seen who won and who lost. Our party has already rejected those results and we are in contact with other political parties to formulate a strategy against government,” he said.
Regarding PPP, Sanaullah said, “Those political parties that have launched petty political pursuits would die their natural death. We believe in politics of public. We don’t believe in any backdoor negotiations with the powers-that-be. Some political circles believe that by following the dictation of ‘hidden hands’, they are doing the right thing. They are wrong. Sooner or later, they will realise this. Anyway, we would welcome anyone and everyone that wants to join our struggle against this puppet government.”
The PML-N leader did not confirm or deny being in contact with the Jahangir Tareen group. “When the right time comes, we’ll surprise everyone. Politics is all about showing your cards at the right time,” he said.
“On one hand, there is PML-N leadership under the command of Shehbaz that believes in cooperation, not confrontation. On the other hand, there is Pakistan People’s Party that too believes in reconciliation and gets along quite well with Shehbaz. In such a situation, where does the PDM stand?” the source remarked.
“For PPP, the unexpected gains in AJK general elections prove that it does not need PDM or PML-N for its political survival. The results of AJK general polls indicate that people reject anti-establishment narrative,” the insider added.
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Some political circles believe that if Jahangir Tareen group, that has considerable following in National and Punjab Assemblies, joins hands with opposition parties then things can change in order to bring the otherwise dormant PDM back to life.
However, sources said that Tareen would not be willing to take this risk after the Nazir Chauhan episode. Chauhan, a Member of Punjab Assembly from the ruling party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), was one of the most active stalwarts of the Tareen group. He was arrested by Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) under cybercrime laws on a complaint lodged by Advisor to the Prime Minister on Accountability and Interior Mirza Shahzad Akbar. Chauhan, earlier this week, publicly criticised Tareen and accused him of using Chauhan. He also apologised to Akbar for questioning his faith.
“Everybody knows who is behind Chauhan’s U-turn. Tareen is a wise man and a shrewd politician. He knows very well who is behind the split in his group. He will not take the risk of joining hands with PDM,” an MPA from Punjab Assembly said on condition of anonymity.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021
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