Sharif’s divided house

Shahid Khaqan’s remarks spark major row in PML-N ranks over PM’s candidature for 2023 polls

The rat race is on! The PML-N, known to attract controversies by the dozen, is in the news, yet again. And  for all the wrong reasons.

So what’s new, the critics may ask. The entire PML-N top brass revels in shooting from the hip, lambasting all and sundry at the smallest and most inconsequential of pretexts, they would say.

But hey, hold your horses, this time they are making headlines for the battle within.

The recent statement from senior party leader and former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi with reference to Shehbaz Sharif being the next candidate for prime minster in the 2023 polls has had the in- tra-party temperatures boiling.

Abbasi, speaking in a talk show, candidly stated that it has been a general practice that whoever is the party president be- comes the prime minister. “” So by virtue of that, Shehbaz – the current president – will be next PML-N candidate for the PM.”

The statement has proved to be a bomb- shell and has clearly widened the rift within the party. Post Abbasi’s remarks, the PML-N is clearly divided into two camps – the Nawaz- Maryam camp and the Shehbaz Sharif camp.

According to PML-N insiders, Maryam Nawaz was literally shocked after hearing Abbasi’s statement since the ex-premier belongs to Maryam’s camp in PML-N.

“Although Abbasi has clarified that he hadn’t taken PML-N presidents name be- cause as per past practice PML-N generally nominates party president for this position and currently Maryam is not eligible to contest elections as per Supreme Court verdict,” he added.

Senior PML-N leader KhawajaAsif also backed the statement of Shahid Khaqan Abbasi ans said as of today’s his statement is more realistic as compared to Maryam Nawaz and PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif’s spokesperson Muhammad Zubair who had said that no decision has been reached about the prime minister candidate for the party and in his opinion the case against Maryam Nawaz is very weak and will eventually become null and void.

Maryam’s alleged outburst against  Shahid Khaqan

A senior PML-N leader belonging to Maryam’s camp told Bol News on con- dition of anonymity that during her son Junaid Safdar’s wedding recently, she looked visibly perturbed and said who is Shahid Khaqan Abbasi to take this decision. “Who is Shahid Khaqan Abbasi to make such a policy statement and take such a gigantic decision regarding the future course of the party in the next general elections,” Maryam was quoted as saying by him.

“I (Maryam) am the one who had given the most sacrifices for the party and the only leader who was the strongest proponent of PML-N’s narrative and struggle for the sanctity of vote and supremacy of parliament and called the names of people/ institutions who are a hurdle in ensuring the sanctity of vote and supremacy of the parliament without fearing anyone,” she allegedly said at her son’s wedding.

Sources maintained that she had also conveyed it to the party supremo Nawaz Sharif that only she deserves to be the candidate for premiership if PML-N comes to power as she had taken forward his narrative and not his (Nawaz) younger brother Shehbaz who is in favour of maintaining a better working relationship with the state institutions and is against the bashing of state institutions.

However, during a media talk a few days after the wedding, Maryam said that she has immense respect for her uncle (Shehbaz) who is like her father but the decision about the party’s candidate for the prime minister will be taken by PML-N supremo Nawaz and not anyone else.

They said that the ball is now in PML-N supremo’s court who will eventually decide the party’s candidate before or after the next general elections.

Who will be Nawaz Sharif’s political heir? Some of the leaders who belong to the core cadre of the party and considered close to PML-N supremo, said Nawaz Sharif believes that his daughter is actually his political heir and he will eventu- ally transfer the chain of command to her sooner or later. “Nawaz might nominate his daughter’s name at the last moment but until then, he will keep the people guessing on who will be the party’s candidate for this most important slot since any such announcement at this stage will divide the party.

On the other hand, PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif wants his son Hamza Shehbaz to be the political heir of his brother Nawaz, mainly because Maryam has already been disqualified.

They maintained that Shehbaz fears he will be ditched by Nawaz who had also ditched him in the past when the ex-premier preferred Shahid Khaqan Abbasi over him for the prime minister’s slot soon after his disqualification over the Panama Leaks saga.

Meanwhile, PML-N MNA and Maryam Nawaz’s husband, Captain (retd) Muhammad Safdar hinted about his son Junaid Safdar’s likely entry into politics which also proves the fact that Nawaz Sharif is keen to develop his political hierarchy away from his brother Shehbaz Sharif and wanted his daughter and grand son Junaid to be his political heirs instead of Shehbaz and his son Hamza Shehbaz Sharif.

Some of the political analysts told Bol News that in monarchies, blood is thicker than water and the real king (Nawaz) has made Shehbaz a fall guy. “The final decision rests with Nawaz and his friends in London, they said. But if Shehbaz finally shows some spine some, the scenario may change and may also turn ugly, the analysts said.

Speaking to Bol News, Political Analyst Salman Abid said that the ongoing fight between PML-N is not of the party, in fact it is a fight between the Sharif family for political inheritance of PML-N. “Basically, it is a fight between Nawaz Sharif and Shehbaz Sharif which is given the name of fight or tussle between PML-N and in future it will determine that Maryam will lead it or Hamza Shehbaz. So, it shouldn’t be considered a tussle within the party but, in reality, it is within the family,” said Abid.

He was of the opinion that Shehbaz’s name has surfaced as party’s candidate for the premier’s slot as he is in touch with the state institutions as well as the establishment. “It has been said that if Nawaz and Maryam distance themselves from the party affairs and the PML-N in Pakistan – which is currently being head- ed by Shehbaz – is empowered, than they could have negotiations with them and reach some sort of compromise,” observed Abid.

“I think that Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has named Shehbaz as the PM’s candidate for the next elections keep the party intact and save it from defections because large number of party MNAs and MPAs believe that Shehbaz who believes in politics of reconciliation will pave the way for coming into power by 2023.”

He added that the attitude of Maryam and Nawaz Sharif is not acceptable to the establishment at any cost which also proves that they don’t have any deal.

That said, Abid points out that establishment is also aware that Shehbaz Sharif cannot take decisions on his own and is dependent on his elder brother and he has also shown weakness on a number of occasions that he is not ready to take on his elder brother.

“Establishment knows that even if Shehbaz comes to power, all the decisions will be taken from London by his elder brother Nawaz Sharif,” says Abid..“

That is why Asif Ali Zardari has start- ed gaining lost ground in Punjab and is becoming active in Punjab as he knows that Shehbaz and PML-N are not accept- able to the establishment, he argued.

Shehbaz’s narrative gaining ground in PML-N Meanwhile, another set of political leaders in the PML-N confided in Bol News that a large number of PML-N leaders are in favour and agree with Shehbaz Sharif’s narrative that the state institutions must not be bashed, as was done being by Maryam Nawaz.

“Shehbaz, reportedly, is trying to currently convince his brother that bashing the institutions could damage the party in the next general elections and they need to develop a good working relationship with all the institutions.

“The way Maryam bashed the state in- stitutions could be a decisive blow to the party and we need to mend our ways if we want to win the next general elections,” the sources quoted Shehbaz as saying to his brother in a recent conversation.