As tenure of the assemblies is coming to an end and general elections drawing closer, the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) continues to face setbacks with 'electables' ditching the party. Party sources told this correspondent that a large number of PML-Q loyalists joined PML-N prior to 2013 general elections with the party awarding National Assembly's tickets to as many as 53 candidates considered 'electables' who had previously served under Musharraf.
The 12 PML-N legislators who recently resigned from party membership opting to join PTI or PPP or stand as independents in the forthcoming elections are part of these 53, a PML-N senior leader pointed out so "even if you subtract 53 from the total PML-N strength in parliament we would be left with 135 parliamentarians".
The numbers are enough for the passage of the finance bill 2018 and any other legislation that the party may decide upon before the end of its tenure on 30 May 2018. "The PTI has 32 members in the national assembly and the PPP has 46 members giving a grand total of 78 which is way below what we can show," he added.
However, what is yet to be quantified is the possibility of former Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan leaving the party with or without a large number of legislators from Potohar region who owe him greater loyalty than to Jati Umra. The speculation in the capital that defections may peak before the federal budget wind-up debate in parliament and lead to the budget not being passed by parliament leading to the fall of government before the end of its tenure, are just hogwash, another PML-N leader said dismissively.
Sources within the PML-N told Business Recorder that a number of dissidents and those who had earlier switched to PML-N from other political parties especially PML-Q are in touch with PTI who may announce their decision to join the party during PTI's April 29 rally in Lahore.
They further stated that more than 90 Punjab Provincial Assembly tickets were awarded to those who either served under Musharraf or switched over from PPP. On Monday, a group of six MNAs and two MPAs from South Punjab announced that they were resigning from parliament and the PML-N membership to form an independent group to contest next election.
The six included Musharraf government's former minister of state for foreign affairs Khusro Bakhtiar from Rahim Yar Khan as well as Tahir Bashir Cheema from Bahawal Nagar, Tahir Iqbal Chaudhry from Vehari, Rana Mohammad Qasim from Multan, Makhdoomzada Basit Bokhari from Muzaffargarh, Salimullah Chaudhry, while MPAs Sardar Nasrullah Khan Dreshak from Rajanpur and Ali Asghar Manda from Sheikhupura.
On April 7, Dr Ramesh Kumar Vankwani quit PML-N and joined PTI while Bhawan Das joined PPP. Raza Hayat Hiraj, a federal minister in Musharraf government who joined the PML-N after the 2013 elections, has already parted ways with the party and joined the PTI along with Nisar Jutt, Umer Nazir and Mian Tariq Mehmood from Gujranwala.
In Punjab Assembly, the PML-N fears that a large number of its sitting MPAs may ditch the party and join other political parties or contest the general elections as independents. In a setback to party president Shahbaz Sharif, a group of six parliamentarians boycotted his public meeting in Kamalia on Sunday. They included minister of state for communication Junaid Anwar Chaudhry, provincial counter-terrorism minister Colonel Sardar Ayub Khan Gadhi (retd), provincial parliamentary secretary for population welfare department Amjad Ali Javed, provincial parliamentary secretary for revenue department Begum Nazia Raheel Gujjar and MPAs Malik Qadeer Awan and Mian Muhammad Rafiq.
Background interviews revealed that the party leadership is seriously concerned over continuing defections however the party leadership is being dismissive while accusing them of being turncoats. PML-N sources further told this correspondent that they are confident of the support of only five of their coalition partners: PkMAP of Mehmood Khan Achakzai (3 MNAs), PML-Functional (5 MNAs), National People's Party (2) and one each of PML-Zia and National Party.
Senior PML-N leaders added that given the recent cold shoulder by Maulana Fazlur Rehman in the Senate elections, they may not be able to rely on support of the JUI-F 13 members in case the government requires their numbers in the House for any legislation and/or finance bill. However, senior party leaders fear the possibility of facing the same embarrassment during the budget session that the party faced during the wind up speech on the federal budget for fiscal year 2016-17 when over 50 members of the party walked out of the House in protest against the party leaders not giving them any time and consistently ignoring their demands.
"MQM is passing through a difficult time and the leadership needs to focus on internal matters with a view to keeping the party intact as elections are approaching," said a senior PML-N leader, adding if the situation remains the same, the party could face more troubles in days to come," a senior PML-N leader stated.
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