Has the ruling Pakistan Muslim League (PML) politically gained in the local bodies' elections is a billion-dollar question, and the answer to this may take sometime. Apparently, the party formed after the exit of Nawaz Sharif, has lost instead of gaining.
This was clearly witnessed during the first two days of the National Assembly's 27th session. The government faced crushing defeat on vote counts twice and then the sitting on Tuesday was adjourned prematurely due to lack of quorum.
The party, which is yet to take a normal course, following the merger of five factions last year, confronted with a puzzling question of nomination of Nazims.
Less than 24 hours after completion of the second phase of local bodies' elections, party Chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain chaired an emergency meeting of the party leaders and asked all and sundry, particularly those who were not happy, not to issue statements. They were asked to present their viewpoint before the party leadership. Shujaat has so far taken the party forward, overcoming all the hurdles coming its way. However, the local bodies' election has shaken his nerves.
Not one, three ministers and some key Muslim League leaders have explicitly raised eyebrows over the conduct of elections, particularly in Punjab, the bastion of Chaudhrys' politics. The tricky situation confronting the Chaudhrys is who should be left out and who should be entertained for the coveted slots of district Nazims, before the next stage of finalisation of names by the other ruling allies comes.
No doubt, the government scored points by holding the elections in time, but it may not augur well to maintain unity in its ranks.
The ruling coalition has a strength of 200 members in the 342-member House. However, it has so far failed to ensure presence of 86 members, needed to avoid quorum problem. This predicament is haunting the government since last year.
This problem is likely to compound with each passing day, if the ruling party leadership, did not demonstrate dexterity to handle the situation, apparently slipping out of its hands.
Analysts attribute extension in the date of holding the third phase of elections to seething wrangling in the ranks and files of the PML. Instead of September 29, now the polls for Nazims would be held on October 6.
The scale of unrest and differences could be gauged from a continuing verbal bout, tinged with allegations between National Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Amir Hussain and Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan is not yet over: a glimpse of which was seen on Monday on the floor of the House. More intriguing was an unusual walkout by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Dr Sher Afgan after pointing out quorum, putting the government in extremely embarrassing position.
Industries Minister Jehangir Tareen, Information Technology Minister Owais Leghari and scores of other ruling party leaders have expressed no-confidence on the way elections were conducted in their respective power bases. This indicates the intensity of resentment within the ruling party.
Sources privy to the developments told Business Recorder that a series of meetings between the troika, ie President Musharraf, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and Chaudhry Shujaat are likely within days.
Nomination of candidates for the slot of Nazim in Lahore, Dera Ghazi Khan, Rawalpindi and in some other districts could trigger further divisions in the PML, these sources said.
Presenting a rosy picture, party Spokesman and Information Secretary Senator Tariq Azeem said that difference of opinion was the essence of democracy, adding that like other challenges, the leadership would amicably settle the 'issue' of nominations for Nazim slots.