Nawaz losing his grip on PML-N

LAHORE:

PML-N supremo and former premier Nawaz Sharif's grip on his party has begun to weaken.

The leaders of his own party have started criticising Nawaz’s continuous stay in London for three years and giving instructions from abroad on the country’s economic policies.

Nawaz and his daughter, PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz, have taken a temporary break from politics, leaving the party to fend for itself.

However, in a tweet on Thursday, the PML-N supremo reiterated his support to his younger brother in handling the crises in the country.

“The negative comments attributed to me about PM Shahbaz Sharif are misleading and incorrect. I remain hopeful that the sincere and tireless efforts by SS under the most challenging circumstances will bear fruit and he will steer the country out of the mess created by Imran Khan.”

In the current situation, the decision of Nawaz’s immediate return to the country has also been postponed.

According to insiders, Nawaz had disagreed with not only his own party but also the leaders of the multi-party alliance – the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) – and its allies over various issues including not holding immediate general elections and the spiralling inflation.

However, instead of expressing it, he prioritised the collective wisdom of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, PPP Co-Chairperson Asif Ali Zardari and PDM chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman over his own opinion and discussed matters according to the situation – the new slogan of “save the state not politics”.

However, time has proven that if Nawaz’s opinion and suggestions were implemented, a stronger government of the PDM and its allies would have been established in the country today as a result of the general elections.

The only party standing against them, the PTI, would have died a political death.

The incumbent government, despite having an experienced team, has adopted policies that are anti-people. It has already pushed the people further into poverty, inflation and unemployment.

The current government is expected to bombard the people with more inflationary measures.

It has played a role in bringing its rival party, the PTI, to the pinnacle of its popularity.

Also read: Divisions in PML-N's camp after fuel price hike

Nawaz is extremely upset, and he used to express his disappointment in party meetings from time to time.

However, an incident happened 10 days ago which was probably unbelievable and unacceptable for Nawaz, former finance minister Ishaq Dar and Maryam.

According to insiders, an important meeting was held on August 15 under the chairmanship of Nawaz Sharif through video link in which PM Shehbaz, former premier Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Maryam, Dar, Finance Minister Miftah Ismail and other senior leaders of the PML-N participated.

In this meeting, a decision was to be taken to change the prices of petroleum products and the government had been pressuring the media for several days that the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) had prepared a summary of reducing the price of petrol by Rs25 per litre and diesel by Rs15.

It should be noted that this was the same meeting about which Maryam had tweeted that her father left the meeting when the decision was taken to increase the prices of petroleum products.

According to party sources, during this meeting, Nawaz had asked Miftah to give a briefing on the economic situation. The finance minister strongly suggested increasing the prices of petroleum products. On this, Nawaz gave the microphone to Dar.

Dar criticised Miftah's economic policies and his methods. Abbasi intervened and allegedly scolded Dar.

He told him that governing in the current situation and making tough financial decisions was not an easy task.

“If you think that we and our government are not doing a good job, then why you ‘gentlemen’, who have been sitting in London for so long, return to Pakistan and take charge of the country and the economy,” he added.

On this, Nawaz allegedly hit the table in anger and left the meeting, after which the government issued a notification to increase the prices of petroleum products.

After midnight, Maryam wrote on Twitter that her father had strongly opposed this decision and even said that he could not put a single penny more burden on the public.

She further quoted Nawaz as saying that if there was any compulsion from the government, he was not involved in this decision.

According to party sources, Nawaz had left the meeting not because of the government’s desire to increase the prices of petroleum products, but because of Abbasi’s “angry” tone.

Since this meeting, Nawaz and Maryam have left the government to its current situation.

By-elections are to be held in different districts of the country including Punjab on September 11 and 25.

The responsibility of the campaign for the by-polls of a National Assembly and three constituencies of the provincial assembly to be held on September 11 in Punjab was given to Maryam, but it has not been started yet.

It seems that Maryam is angry with the government. Her decision to set up a separate office in the party secretariat in Model Town has also been delayed.

In the past days, work on the renovation of Maryam’s office was under way at a rapid pace, but now this has almost stopped.

According to party sources, Nawaz has been silent since the party meeting held 10 days ago and postponed his immediate return home, which was possible in the last week of September or early October.

Now Nawaz has decided that if Dar acquired relief from the Supreme Court, then the former finance minister would first return to the country. After a complete review of the situation in Pakistan, he would inform Nawaz about it.

Only then would the PML-N supremo decide about his return to the country.

According to party sources, Nawaz, through his most trusted party officials, has called for the performance reports of all the members of parliament and party officials, based on which he could make important decisions in the near future.

They include giving the most important and powerful post in the PML-N to Maryam.

This is to ensure that she could keep the PML-N decisions and policies in her hands by strengthening her grip on the party.