The PML-N leaders, spearheaded by the party’s Punjab president, appear to have kicked off a campaign to dethrone party president Shehbaz Sharif by pushing through a resolution during what was dubbed as a PML-N Punjab meeting.
The assembled leaders unanimously endorsed a resolution urging the comeback of Nawaz Sharif as party president.
The announcement came during a press briefing convened at the party's central secretariat by PML-N Punjab President Rana Sanaullah, with prominent PML-N figures Javed Latif and Khurram Dastgir by his side.
The optics of Sanaullah and Latif shoulder to shoulder seemed designed to quash any notion of internal discord, following their public sparring.
Speaking to the press, Sanaullah declared that PML-N Punjab had unanimously endorsed a resolution urging Nawaz Sharif to reassume leadership of the party in order to steer it through challenging times, to enhance the party's public image.
Sanaullah also lauded not only Nawaz Sharif but also Maryam Nawaz for her dynamic leadership in Punjab as CM Punjab. He also made a mention of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's performance in his remarks, although this appeared to be more of a balancing act.
Oddly enough, several Punjab leaders claimed ignorance about such a gathering, raising doubts about the guise under which this purported meeting of PML-N Punjab was held.
Khawaja Mansha Ullah Butt, one of these leaders, stated that he had no knowledge of any such meeting. He went on to suggest that the meeting in question might have been a routine gathering of leaders.
When questioned about his stance, he clarified that he held the position of vice president in PML-N Punjab.
The announcement was largely seen as Nawaz's camp trying to claw back the control from the party president Shehbaz Sharif. Despite holding independent views, which sometimes diverge significantly from those of Nawaz, the younger Sharif does not have a faction of his own.
Sanaullah and Javed had recently adopted stances that were detrimental to the central government. However, despite this, they were endorsed by Nawaz Sharif, who believed that their positions could potentially benefit the party in the future by crafting a narrative portraying them as victims. As a result, no action was taken against them.
Rana Sanaullah stated that PML-N Punjab unanimously adopted a resolution urging Nawaz Sharif to reclaim leadership of the party, denouncing his removal as a “conspiracy”.
He mentioned that all officebearers deliberated on pre- and post-election scenarios, and based on those discussions, put forth practical recommendations for implementation.
He mentioned that these recommendations have been noted and will be presented to the leadership.
Moreover, he highlighted the session's acknowledgement of the endeavours of the PM Shehbaz Sharif-led central government, backed wholeheartedly by Nawaz Sharif, in navigating the country through crises.
The gathering also commended CM Punjab Maryam Nawaz for her dynamic leadership, which has led to comprehensive relief measures, curbed price hikes, and improved the quality of life for ordinary citizens.
He also addressed the tiff between himself and Javed Latif, stating that both of his colleagues, sitting on his left and right, belong to a political party where people do not shy away from expressing their views. While they may disagree with each other's opinions, they certainly respect them.
During the brief question and answer session, when Sanaullah was queried about whether PML-N was altering its narrative and if so, whether this entailed a change in presidency, he clarified that they were not altering or removing their president.
Instead, he asserted that Nawaz was unjustly ousted, and their aim was simply to correct that injustice.
Regarding the narrative, Sanaullah asserted that Nawaz's decision prevailed.
Interestingly, when questioned about whether there was any consideration within PML-N that the Nawaz Sharif faction, alluding to those prominent figures on the political stage, might have been intentionally defeated to fade into obscurity, it was acknowledged that such sentiment did indeed exist within the party. This was discussed during the meeting.
Whatever decision is ultimately made regarding this matter will also influence the party’s narrative.
It appeared that the party is attempting to utilize a victim narrative, despite having control over all branches of government.
Meanwhile, he also clarified that at no point was Nawaz Sharif excluded from the decision-making process, emphasising that all decisions were made in direct consultation with him.
He explained that the party had been in election mode previously, which is why this change was not implemented earlier. He also hinted at forthcoming changes within the party's ranks and files.
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