Sharif’s party dithers on punishing lawmakers

Some in PML-N think action over horse-trading would fuel internal strife

ISLAMABAD : Although Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) announced it is taking action against 20 lawmakers who defied party orders in the Senate elections, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz shelved at least three internal probes, including one concerning alleged horse-trading in Senate polls.

In March this year, the new PML-N President, Shehbaz Sharif, ordered an internal probe against lawmakers who allegedly voted for candidates of rival parties.

The decision was taken after a PTI leader, Chaudhry Sarwar, unexpectedly emerged victorious in the Senate elections from Punjab.

In the 371-member Punjab Assembly, the PML-N has 310 seats against PTI’s 30 seats.

Sarwar got 44 votes in the Senate polls, implying that he received at least 14 votes more than his party’s total strength in the provincial assembly. This extra support came either from the treasury or opposition lawmakers.

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However, this probe was quietly shelved as PML-N leadership feared further splits in the party ranks.

Many in N-League thought the party was already facing serious challenges, following the debacle in the Balochistan Assembly and the unexpected defeat in Senate elections for the top slots in the upper house of parliament.

PML-N leadership is believed to have thought that taking steps against horse-trading would add to uncertainty and fuel internal strife.

Interestingly, Sharif and Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi both have supported calls to probe horse-trading in Senate polls but neither PML-N nor the federal and Punjab government made any headway in this regard.

Punjab’s Law Minister Rana Sanaullah denied assertions that any such probe had been shelved. He said a few days ago, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had announced it will probe horse-trading in Senate elections.

“The matter is being dealt with by the ECP. Let’s await its findings,” he said.

In February this year, the PML-N had silently launched another high-profile probe to determine who had advised Nawaz Sharif to travel via Motorway instead of the GT Road after he was disqualified by the Supreme Court in the Panamagate case. Sharif had not heeded the advice to travel via Motorway and preferred to travel along the GT Road.

In a party meeting held in February this year, Sharif had remarked: “Where are those who suggested that we travel via Motorway?”

Some PML-N leaders indicated that former interior minister Chaudhry Nisar had advised the former PM to travel on the Motorway.

However, Nisar denied this, saying the decision was taken in a party meeting held in Murree in which party leaders had agreed that Sharif would travel to Murree via Motorway.

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Reports from the ruling camp suggested that the party leadership was probing the matter, but details of this probe never surfaced.

In October, Sharif had set up a three-member inquiry committee, headed by Raja Zafarul Haq to probe changes in the Khatm-e-Nabuwwat (finality of Prophethood) clause from the then Election Bill 2017.

The panel was told to submit its report within 24 hours, but this never happened.

Credible PML-N sources said that the committee tasked with probing changes in the Khatm-e-Nabuuwat clause was authored by Zafarul Haq, holding a female member of federal cabinet responsible. The other two members of the committee refused to sign the report and asked Haq to tone down the report, which Haq had reportedly refused.

The report still remains unsigned even though the Punjab government agreed to share it with Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan.

Zafarul Haq refused to comment on the matter saying that he was unable to share details because of confidentiality.