Defending illegitimate family interests
Defending illegitimate family interests
Siddiq Baluch
Editor's Blog

QUETTA: As expected, Nawaz Sharif had picked up his younger brother as the permanent Prime Minister of Pakistan. He imposed his view on the PML-N Parliamentarians and Provincial Chief Ministers in a meeting held at the Punjab House to review the post Supreme Court decision disqualifying the Prime Minister of Pakistan. He was declared as a ‘liar’ and ‘dishonest man’ misfit to rule the country. He is disqualified for life.

QUETTA: As expected, Nawaz Sharif had picked up his younger brother as the permanent Prime Minister of Pakistan. He imposed his view on the PML-N Parliamentarians and Provincial Chief Ministers in a meeting held at the Punjab House to review the post Supreme Court decision disqualifying the Prime Minister of Pakistan. He was declared as a ‘liar’ and ‘dishonest man’ misfit to rule the country. He is disqualified for life.

The decision shows that self server Nawaz Sharif did not trust his upright and honest colleagues in politics for decades who remained loyal to him and gave priority to his personal and family interests. He is desperately trying to save his neck from the Accountability Court that will begin criminal proceedings against him soon after the NAB files references against the entire family and his crony Ishaq Dar.

The decision confirmed the belief that he is least bothered to the problems and challenges being faced by the country and he gave preference to his person and his family. Only Shahbaz can properly defend the interests of the Sharif Family when he is appointed as Chief Executive of the country.

Mian Shahbaz Sharif had been nominated as the new Prime Minister and during the interim period, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi will be the interim Prime Minister, presumably for 45 days as stop gap arrangement.

Shahbaz is facing three major charges in connection with the Chaudhary Sugar Mills, Hudebiya Papers Mill and Model Town Massacre of Tahirul Qadri supporters risking his imminent conviction.

Once the NAB files the reference against Shahbaz Sharif, he will have to seek pre-arrest bail from a court of law and the Prime Minister of Pakistan will be ruling the country being on bail on criminal charges!

It is a fact that Shahbaz Sharif is more shrewd than his elder brother who shown no interest to politics, he refused to learn, and devoted all his energies to mint more and more money using fair and unfair means. Thus Shahbaz Sharif may not be acceptable to the powerful forces and elements having a great say in the affairs of the State. Thus, the future of Shahbaz Sharif is completely doomed.

There is a possibility that he may face greater difficulties in getting qualification to become a member of the Parliament so that he is elected as new Prime Minister replacing Shahid Khaqan. He will face tough fighting facing combined opposition to get elected as MNA. He may not be able to use his Provincial Government machinery in his favour rigging the elections in a big way.

Sooner or later, the PML-N MPs will prefer to accept Shahid Khaqan Abbasi as the permanent Prime Minister discarding Shahbaz Sharif for more valid political reasons.

There is a visible division in the rank and file of PML-N and in absence of Nawaz Sharif as their leader. The gulf is expected to widen further making the PML-N rule doomed forever. Splinter groups are active and claiming that more than 50 to 60 MNAs are unhappy with the Party leader and his decision and they are waiting in the wing to revolt and topple down the PML Government the moment they get a chance. Sardar Zulfiqar Khosa, an elderly leader, claimed that 80 MNAs are in the wing to defect the party when they get a chance.

There is a general complaint that they were insulted, humiliated or ignored deliberately a chosen representatives and he had confined his consultations with his close cronies as claimed by Chaudhary Nisar Ali Khan.

The PML-N is not a political party in its strict sense. It is a crowd loyal to one person only when he was the ruler of Pakistan. It had no hard core and committed political cadre in a political sense.

There are many beneficiaries of the PML-N rule. Mainly three political allies—the JUI, PMAP and the National Party were the prime beneficiaries and they remained loyal to Nawaz Sharif as a ruler only. They must be in deep shock when the court disqualified Nawaz as Prime Minister for being dishonest.

The allies have nothing in common with the PML-N. It is simple opportunism. One of the sycophant leaders claimed that the Supreme Court decision is sick. It is more appropriate to say that it is a sick mind reading the vivid Supreme Court decision. The leader did not see the chain of criminal cases pending against Nawaz Sharif and his family, including Shahbaz Sharif and Ishaq Dar.

Supreme Court is not the trial court giving verdicts on all the proven criminal charges against Nawaz Sharif. Wait for the filing of references against Nawaz and his family members finding Nawaz Sharif on the run seeking pre-arrest bail from the competent court. The process of legal and criminal proceedings against Nawaz is yet to start. The leader criticized the Supreme Court verdict merely because he wanted to remain in good books of Nawaz and his family as the top ruling family of Pakistan.

Chaudhary Nisar made the startling disclosure earlier indicating the gathering storm over Pakistan and the country is being encircled by the enemy and hostile forces. The country is facing the threat to its survival. Nawaz Sharif also indicated it when he remarks that the country can face a disaster for ousting Prime Ministers off and on. He hurled the veiled threat that a disaster is impending if the country is not in his hand.

Nawaz was barred from politics and declared disqualified and still he presided over the political meeting of the Party and his speech was live on the PTV in total disregard to the Supreme Court verdict. He is barred from politics. He cannot head a political party. He stood disqualified for life.

Presumably, it was the last and necessary meeting in which he imposed his decision on the party men, loyal or disloyal, to make his brother as the next Prime Minister of Pakistan. Hostile elements are expected to react to this dictation of Nawaz on the party as they may refuse to elect another autocrat as the new Prime Minister.

In such a situation, the party can face a revolt at any stage as Chaudhary Nisar led them by dissociating himself from future politics of Nawaz and the PML-N. One group will follow Chaudhary Nisar Ali Khan, the other Sardar Zulfiqar Ali Khosa, mainly MNAs and MPAs from Seraiki region and others from Central Punjab and Potohar.

Thus the split in the PML-N is visible and the future of the PML-N is doomed with the end of Nawaz rule. Nawaz allies are expected to join the new group or party of rulers and new comer dissociating all links with Nawaz and his PML-N forever. Thus a tradition will be retained to remain loyal to rulers only and not others.