Ruling PML-N puts rumour mill to rest

Parliamentary party reposes full confidence in Premier Sharif’s leadership

ISLAMABAD: The parliamentary party of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz on Tuesday put to rest rumours mills churning out speculative stories about an ‘in-house change’ and reposed full confidence in the leadership of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif whose family is mired in the Panamagate controversy.

A meeting of PML-N’s parliamentary party was convened at a time when the Supreme Court is authoring its verdict on a slew of petitions seeking disqualification of Sharif for ‘lying in parliament’ over his family’s offshore companies. Media reports are making rounds that Sharif could step down and the ruling party could pick out his successor.

Federal ministers Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Khawaja Asif, and Ahsan Iqbal are prominent among those media reports claim were considered for the slot. Finance Minister Ishaq Dar was also said to be a possible choice, though he is a senator and hence not eligible to become prime minister.

Sources privy to Tuesday’s parliamentary party huddle told The Express Tribune that participants reposed full confidence in Premier Sharif, saying that “there is no second-in-command in the PML-N”.

Insiders say it was necessary to clear the air because there was a lot of uncertainty and confusion in the party about the future of the leadership ahead of the Panamagate verdict. The ruling party also decided that it would rely on its own strength to garner public support instead of depending on allies to counter opposition’s politics on Panamagate.

Premier Sharif chaired the meeting where attendees included the ruling party’s federal lawmakers and PM’s personal and political staff. It was the first meeting of PML-N’s parliamentary party in more than seven months as the last time the huddle had been convened on August 4.

According to sources, Sharif’s attitude during Tuesday’s meeting was positive and he looked “open to suggestions and advice”. “Whenever we meet the prime minister (which is not very often), he is normally polite and courteous. But today he was candid, frank and talkative,” one insider told The Express Tribune.

Sharif regretted that he couldn’t interact with his party’s MPs on a regular basis, the insider said. “I’d try to be more regular in future,” Sharif said, adding that the parliamentary party would convene every two months.

Sources say Sharif also impressed upon the participants the need for an effective mass mobilisation and public interaction campaign in order to deal with political issues. He didn’t name Panamagate though. Later when the Panamagate issue came up for discussion, Sharif reportedly said internal unity and public support were the key to tackling any challenge. He said the party’s provincial chapters, and its representatives at district, tehsil and union council level should increase their contacts with the public.

A PML-N leader, who spoke to The Express Tribune on the condition of anonymity, said that Sharif was concerned about differences between his cabinet members, especially Chaudhry Nisar, Ishaq Dar, Khawaja Asif and Ahsan Iqbal, which explained why he was laying stress on internal unity.

Sources say the participants suggested that the ruling party rely on its own political strength instead of depending on its allies like JUI-F and PkMAP. In the end, the meeting concurred that reliance on allies would weaken the party politically.

A statement issued by the Prime Minister House didn’t say the Panamagate issue was discussed in the parliamentary party meeting. It mainly discussed economic issues, development and mega projects with the prime minister asking the lawmakers “to work hard for alleviating the problems of the people of their respective constituencies.”

It quoted Sharif as saying that Pakistan’s economy witnessed a positive turnaround and it was fast growing in the face of numerous challenges inherited by his government in 2013. Speedy work is under way on various projects under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which once completed would immensely benefit Pakistan in particular and the region in general.