Situation: cozy up to the creation proved’kiss of death’ for PML-N – Newspaper

Defeat Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) in Polls in Punjab forced party rethink it strategy and narration for is reclaiming its political fortunes and a major leadership reshuffle is expected in coming days.

Head of PML-N Nawaz Sharif, over in past several days, extensive consultations with senior party leaders on the reasons behind debacle in the Punjab and is said to have concluded that it was result of absence of effective leadership and refusal of his trademark “anti-establishment narrative”.

” elder Sharif believes that the pro-establishment stance taken by party was kiss of death party leader who recently spoke with Nawaz, said Dawn.

Read: “Imran Khan has arrived”: journalists and politicians congratulate PTI on Punjab additional polls

Despite the fact that a leadership reshuffle is expected place in the coming weeks are already hints that party is shifting gears and trying to revive the anti-establishment narrative that its leaders firmly believe successfully taken over Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

Nawaz aims to “return party to former glory’; Maryam can be given key leadership role in upcoming reshuffles

Statements by Maryam Nawaz Sharif, who once considered the direct heir of Nawaz Sharif, already indicating the PML-N’s readiness to re-assume its anti-establishment approach. this is worth noting that Ms. Sharif was reportedly willing to receive even more key role in upcoming reshuffles

During conversation with DawnPML-N leader Muhammad Zubair confirmed that party will see a return of ‘character of resistance’ in this is politics.

“We were on the receiving end for long. This can no longer be,” he said.

Although Nawaz Sharif, after his dismissal in 2017, retained power party in strife through its strong ‘Mujhe Kyon NikalaPML-N rhetoric continued to be divided between hawkish and moderates.

The latter led by current prime minister Shahbaz Sharif, were of opinion that way to get back to power corridors lay in reconciliation with security services after abandoning a confrontational stance.

Observers claim Punjab has always respected defiance and sympathy for weak. However, the provinces wore pro-establishment colors because of status quo politics, who arose fromparty elections of 1985, under former Dictator Ziaul Haq.

Native PML-N daemons with anti-establishment narratives arise from fact that his ranks also made up of number of politicians who “enjoyed patronage”.

Nawaz-league towards the middle of last yearvisibly tinted down his anti-establishment rhetoric after moderates prevailed in party with position that prospects of success in 2023 polls depended on fix fences with in military.

Their rationale was based on the widely held belief that Punjab was an openly pro-establishment province.

The approach seems to be paid off much sooner than expected when PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif replaced Imran Khan, who was forced out through vote of no-confidence in National Assembly.

But many now doubt that logic, especially after Mr. Khan, who they say rose to power with establishments help, made comeback, beating the US and the establishment.

Where PML-N used insinuations such as “khalai mahlukto appeal to those in power, Mr. Khan coined the phrase “neutrals” to attack in military leadership for this is role in politics and used characters like “Mr. X” and “Mr. Y” to indicate hands involved in intervention.

PML-N leaders say that battle of narratives not only undermined party in his stronghold in the Punjab, but greatly undermined its prospects in Khyber Pakhtunkhava too.

KP party leaders complained to Mr. Nawaz Sharif that Prime Minister Shehbaz had outsourced party in province to JUI-F leader Fazlur Rehman.

BUT party leader emphasizing seriousness of situation, said it was probably the worst crisis for PML-N after Musharraf’s coup. “There are many of demoralization, he said. added.

He said the crisis was twofold; on one side they were losing their PTI base, while on on the other hand, his supporters were bewildered by the fact that their party stood for. Furthermore, party fears that he will have nothing to sell to voters after latest economic collapse.

BUT party the source said Mr Nawaz Sharif was “deeply concerned” and “little convinced” of various clarifications, data senior leaders for bad showing in recent polls in Punjab.

According to his calculations, the source said, PTI over million votes against 850,000 PML-N in elections in 20 districts of Punjab.

So Nawaz decided to go for leadership reshuffle that could see Maryam Nawaz become more powerful job title.

sitting in London, he still believes that Maryam next best option take the “bull by the horns” while he is gone.

However, Mr. Zubair said that party searched for “level playing field” ahead of in next elections and key part of what strategy had to get nawaz back to Pakistan.

Published in Dawn, July 24, 2022