PHOTO: FILE
According to insiders, federal government functionaries are not in favour of taking action with regard to sit-in debacle, fearing that such a move in the prevailing circumstances might create new problems rather than mitigating the existing ones.
Still, Sharif is stated to be firm not to spare those who brought embarrassment to the party and its government even if it means a shakeup of the cabinet.
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“We are caught between a rock and a hard place,” an N-Leaguer said, requesting anonymity. “On the one hand, there are dissident elements in the party who are increasing in number. On the other, there is internal blame-game that is going to cost us dearly.”
It emerged on Tuesday that more than a dozen PML-N members of the National Assembly and the Punjab Assembly had sent their resignations to a spiritual leader from Sargodha in protest against the government’s policies regarding sit-ins in the federal capital as well as in the province.
Making matters worse, some more lawmakers from central and southern Punjab are said to have informally parted ways with the ruling party but are “waiting for the right time” to announce their decisions.
At the same time, the protest by a religious group in Lahore continues, demanding resignation of provincial Law Minister Rana Sanaullah for allegedly making ‘pro-Ahmadi remarks’ and seeking a public apology from him.
Unnerved by these developments, Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif has sent his aides to meet the spiritual leader in a bid to defuse the situation and avoid any split in the party. While other reports suggest that Sanaullah might personally visit the Lahore protest leader to ‘pacify’ him.
Differences between the N-League’s central leadership and the Punjab chapter after the Faizabad operation fiasco have now become too obvious to ignore. The PML-N leadership also fears if the divide spread to its members in Senate, it would be detrimental to the party interests ahead of the upper house elections in March next year.
“In a situation like this, if we take on those of our colleagues who showed negligence in handling the protestors in the twin cities, it would only add to our woes,” said an aide to Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi. He added the prime minister has urged Sharif to review his tough stance because it could exacerbate the rift in the party.
Sources said that hardliners in the PML-N want removal of Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal and replaced by a “tough” interior minister to handle any kind of crisis. “The challenges are multifaceted that are going to get graver in the coming days,” they warned, according to a source.
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“There are religious groups who plan to march on Islamabad in the coming days. We need a strong boss [interior minister] to manage things and not the one who shies away from responsibility,” a senior party member said.
The hardliners also take exception to a statement from Ahsan Iqbal that the botched operation was conducted by the Islamabad administration and the police and “I have nothing to do with it”. This adds insult to injury, according to the sources.
“You cannot act like a stranger when you are at the helm. He (Ahsan Iqbal) has expertise in economic matters which is why he has been heading the Planning Ministry. He should continue on that count. A strong-nerved candidate is needed to head the Interior Ministry.”
Also, the sources said, Iqbal was not in favour of seeking Punjab government’s help to deal with the sit-in and instead suggested to the top party leadership, including the prime minister and the party chief that Islamabad police ‘alone’ would get the protest site vacated “within no time”.
A senior government official said Sharif had been kept under the impression that dispersing the protestors was an easy task. But the unexpected failure of the operation infuriated the PML-N chief, who reportedly came down hard on the interior minister during a party meeting at Punjab House.
During the meeting on Tuesday Sharif asked the interior minister why there was no backup plan when the operation failed in the first attempt and who was funding the sit-in? He also asked why all the relevant options were not exhausted and resources not utilised?
After this episode, the interior minister reportedly offered to step down but Sharif has not taken any decision in this regard. Reportedly, he is in favour of taking action after thorough investigation into the matter.
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