When former premier Nawaz Sharif went to the Supreme Court with a petition asking for a judicial probe into the Memogate scandal early this month, he appeared to be bowing down to a popular demand from within his party: “Let’s mend ties with the military establishment.”
It was the security establishment that has been pushing for a probe into the scandal.
Sharif, also the head of opposition party Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has long been resisting calls from within the group to stop criticising the military.
“There was always pressure on Mian Sahib (Sharif) that he should mend ties with the security establishment which has a pivotal role in Pakistan’s politics. But he never listened to these suggestions,” said a top party leader, who requested not to be named.
But, he added, the demand from the top leadership gained support when the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan emerged on the political scene as a major force.
Most leaders from the PML-N believe that the security establishment is behind the rise of Khan’s PTI because the military hierarchy always need political players to work with, some members from the party (PML-N) told The Express Tribune here on Sunday.
“We would’ve been that player had Mian Sahib shown flexibility in his stance towards the military,” the senior leader said, echoing what had transpired in recent party meetings including one in Lahore last week.
Tactfully handling the military
The PML-N leaders said that most of the party stalwarts were of the view that if the security establishment was pushed to the wall by hostility shown by Sharif and his associates, it could lead to certain “extreme steps”
“Look, they have stakes in politics, genuine or not but they do … and if they are denied what they believe is their domain it will frustrate them into silly things …. maybe a direct takeover,” one party official said.
Experts said the proactive stance of the PML-N on investigations into the scandal will certainly reduce tensions that have haunted the once cordial relations between Nawaz Sharif and the military leaders.
“Obviously, it is the military that wants the court to investigate the memo … and by pushing for it, Sharif is providing the necessary political backing. It will be interesting to see what comes out of the whole episode,” said journalist Fida Khan, who covers Pakistan for a Japanese publication.
A spokesperson for the PML-N, however, rejected that the party was looking to rebuild ties with the military by calling for a judicial investigation into the Memogate scandal.
“We think it is a national issue. It is above politics,” said Senator Mushahidullah Khan, the information secretary of the PML-N, “And as far as seeking good relations with the security establishment is concerned, they will run to us if we give them a signal. But rest assured we won’t.”
Published in The Express Tribune, December 12th, 2011.
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