- To return, or not to return
With the Sharif brothers in London and Maryam Nawaz hibernating in Lahore, there is none to provide leadership to the PML-N or raise its sagging morale. As happens in every dynasty-led party, the PML-N is left with no undisputed figure to command or guide its parliamentary representatives and sympathisers. There are personality clashes among the party’s parliamentary leaders that have to be kept under control. There are different perspectives about what the party needs to do at this juncture, with some advocating that unless the party takes to streets, it would lose popularity, while others insisting on keeping the struggle against the government confined to the four walls of Parliament. At a time when the going gets tough, demoralistation can creep into the party ranks if the leadership is seen to be cooling its heels in London while the party’s second-tier leadership undergoes hardships. On Tuesday demands were made in the party’s parliamentary committee for PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif to return to the country.
Six PML-N MPAs, mostly from South Punjab, called on Chief Minister Usman Buzdar the same day, allegedly expressing confidence in Prime Minister Imran Khan and Mr Buzdar. They maintained that they made the visit to seek development funds for their constituencies as promised to the PTI’s Seraiki MPs. This perturbed PML-N legislators with Mr Hamza Sharif promising to discuss the issue in the party meeting to decide about an appropriate action against the lawmakers.
Altaf Hussain could run the MQM through remote control from London for he possessed a formidable terrorist network to enforce strict discipline, silence critics inside the party and eliminate dissidents. No democratic party however can be managed through remote control.
Mian Shahbaz Sharif is not only the President of his party but also the Leader of the Opposition in National Assembly. Opposition parties too have been demanding his return. It is not an easy decision to make for Mr Shahbaz Sharif, who has undergone arrest, prolonged questioning by NAB and incarceration. The accountability body has prepared fresh cases against him and is likely to arrest him on his return. But can he ignore the voices being raised in his party and by the rest of the opposition?
