All the signs say that PML-N supremo Mian Nawaz Sharif is indeed returning to Pakistan from London on October 21 after almost four years – though given past promises it may be best to hold on to some scepticism till the last minute. The PML-N chief had left the country in November 2019 on medical grounds with the permission of the court but has not returned since then. The PML-N tried to justify the delay in Nawaz’s homecoming first due to the previous establishment and the PTI government, and later due to the Bandial court. For years, various PML-N leaders had been giving date after date of his return but the former prime minister did not come back even when his brother was in power. Now it seems he is all set to be back and lead his party’s election campaign. Political observers have long been discussing whether this big return home is because of the one constant in Pakistan’s politics – a ‘deal’. Of course, any such musings are denied by PML-N politicos. The denials will not sit too comfortably in a country where political leaders’ fortunes are hardly ever decided by those that vote for them, and the thinking is that if Nawaz left with a ‘deal’, he’s also coming back with a ‘deal’. The nagging question of the many cases that are still pending against him is also resolved if the deal explanation is taken at face value, with observers saying that they will finally be settled by the courts because they were weak in the first place and in order to restore the credibility of the courts, the cases will (now) be dealt with on merit.
The only thing that is left now is: which Nawaz is coming back home? Is it the Nawaz Sharif of the PDM jalsas during the PTI tenure? Or yet another new Nawaz Sharif perhaps closer in line with his brother? The question: what is Nawaz Sharif’s narrative now? Addressing a party meeting via video link last month, he had opted for the old-new Nawaz Sharif who had startled people with his candid observations regarding the nature of the state of Pakistan, the power relations among institutions, and the state of democracy. Soon after his statement in the party meeting – during which he had demanded that all those that had derailed his government in 2017 be brought to book – we saw a rather rushed-up trip by Shehbaz Sharif right back to London only after he had returned a day ago. Some say the quick dash was meant to deliver a ‘message’ to Nawaz. Despite denials of any message, whatever was whispered seems to have done the trick because now PML-N leaders say Nawaz will not target anyone at his homecoming rally in Lahore and has left it to Divine justice.
Among political analysts, there is a view that, while Nawaz believes he has to start his political narrative from when he was thrown out as the PM and what happened to Pakistan as a consequence, the PML-N leadership says that this is not the time for confrontational politics. Perhaps, those in the PML-N feel that after 16 rocky months of the PDM government, and a PTI under trial, why rock the boat with the establishment? Amidst speculations that the road might be being cleared for a return to power for the PML-N, we wonder where democracy figures in all this. In the stories of valour told by our politicians, will we ever get to hear the redacted parts as well? Nawaz 2.0 had seemingly shed all coquettishness just a couple of years back. Is the ‘narrative’ being brought back to heel for another stint in power? October 21 should give us some hints of what is in store in politics.