Time for a reset

As Shehbaz Sharif set to relinquish the coveted hot seat of the PAC

A sudden change of tack by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif to relinquish the coveted hot seat of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) while apparently extending his stay in London, and news of restructuring at the top of the party have given rise to speculations that a ‘deal’ with the government could be in the offing.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-led government and Prime Minister Imran Khan apparently remain unbending over the improbability of another national reconciliation ordinance (NRO).

PML-N founder Nawaz Sharif is mired neck-deep in corruption cases while former Punjab chief minister Shehbaz too is facing a host of cases filed by the National Accountability Bureau besides there are cases against other senior party leaders. The PML-N and Shehbaz, who had fought a long-drawn political battle with the PTI over continuing with the tradition to hand the opposition the chairmanship of the PAC, now seem content to turn over the slot to a different member of the party. With Saad Rafique and Hamza Shehbaz also facing cases, there are few senior party leaders left in the country who can effectively lead the party.

With Nawaz known for handing key positions to only close relatives or to people he trusts, the only workable option left is an old faithful such as former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi — entrusted with charge of the country after Nawaz was deposed by the Supreme Court (SC) — to once again step in and this time take over the reins of the party. While it looks like the PML-N is battening down the hatches for a long winter of court battles over corruption allegations and other political wranglings, it might take a leaf from the book of its opponents and perhaps use it to reorganise and galvanise itself by encouraging a new generation of leaders who can not only offer a fresh face for the party but can also lead the party ably into the future.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 4^th, 2019.

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