Sharifs at odds over PML-N Punjab presidency

Groups within party have differing choice over coveted post

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Muslim League's Punjab chapter is yet to get a regular chief, as the senior party leadership has so far failed to reach a consensus on finalising a candidate for the provincial presidency.

Despite considering different names, the party leadership has not yet given a go-ahead for the elevation of a party stalwart to head the party’s Punjab chapter.

Over the years, Shehbaz Sharif, the incumbent PML-N president, has had an important say in the N-League’s affairs concerning Punjab and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif gave importance to his younger brother’s recommendations for all the important appointments concerning the PML-N Punjab chapter and related party affairs.



Even after his elevation to the party’s top slot, Shehbaz has been keeping the post till a regular appointment is made.

At present, the N-League’s central leadership – including former prime minister Sharif and his aides – want the elevation of a candidate of their choice as party’s provincial president, a PML-N sources said.



On the other hand, senior leaders of the Punjab chapter are vying for slot none of whom enjoys close association with the elder Sharif’s group and are said to be trusted confidantes of Shehbaz.

Those include PML-N’s Provincial Secretary General Raja Ashfaq Sarwar, Law Minister Rana Sanaullah, Punjab Assembly Speaker Rana Iqbal and Shehbaz’s son Hamza Shehbaz rated as potential candidates to head the N-League’s Punjab chapter.

Sources said the name of Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique is also doing the rounds for heading the provincial chapter.

Rafique, who is on close terms with the Punjab chief minister, was also a cabinet member of former PM Sharif.

However, Maryam Nawaz is said to be not in favour of Rafique heading the provincial chapter mainly because he is among those party leaders who oppose any future role for Maryam as party leader, sources said.



Some party stalwarts in the PML-N’s central chapter say that former PM’s wife and his daughter agreed to Shehbaz’s rise as PML-N president and in return, wanted a candidate backed by the ‘Maryam lobby’ to be placed in the province to head the party.

However, knowledgeable insiders in the provincial chapter deny the possibility, saying Maryam lacks any support base in the Punjab chapter as she solely focused at the centre when her father headed the party.

“The party is in a fix. For years, the decision-making regarding Punjab directly involved Shehbaz. Now, after he has been accommodated at the centre, Mian Sahib and his aides want a candidate of their choice to head the provincial chapter, but they don’t have the support from within the party—given that Shehbaz exercises strong influence on the Punjab chapter,” commented a PML-N leader.

“Shehbaz’s election as central president allows the Punjab chapter to have a role in the party’s affairs at the centre. To counter this, central leaders close to elder Sharif believe that they should have a role in the Punjab’s politics,” the source said

Reportedly, the party bigwigs -- including Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi -- support a candidate who enjoys the support of both party groups.

On February 27, PML-N central working committee had picked Shehbaz as acting president following the disqualification of Nawaz Sharif from heading the N-league.



Shehbaz was also chosen by elder brother to head the party on a regular basis. On March 13, he was elected as permanent president by the N-League’s General Council.

Regarded as one of the most powerful positions in the PML-N, Punjab’s provincial chief wields more importance and ‘nuisance value’ compared to other provincial chiefs of the party given that the N-League draws its major political vote bank from the province.

Party sources say choosing a candidate as PML-N Punjab’s chief whose candidature is approved by the powerful groups in the party is important to keep the party united in the present situation when the PML-N is passing through hard times

“This would be tricky,” said a PML-N legislator who is also a party office-bearer in Punjab.

“At a time when the party faces serious challenges coming from within and outside — internal divide, grouping, tug-of-war between party lobbies and on top of that there are court cases and legal references to deal with —we need a candidate who enjoys a great deal of acceptability in the party’s senior ranks in Punjab,” the source said.