Nawaz Sharif still calling the shots

ISLAMABAD: Even 27 days after his Supreme Court sanctioned deposition, former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is comprehensively engaged in guiding the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and receiving a large number of visitors from the federal and provincial governments and other segments of society.

Even at this difficult moment, Asad Junejo, son of former Prime Minister Mohammad Khan Junejo, saw attraction in the PML-N and joined it after meeting Nawaz Sharif.

Before departing for his one-day visit to Saudi Arabia, Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi held a consultative session with the former premier which was also attended by Finance Minister Senator Ishaq Dar and others, who accompanied him to Jeddah.

Except for his own exclusion due to disqualification, Nawaz Sharif’s entire core team is back in the federal cabinet with some additions recommended by him to his choice successor, Abbasi.

Apart from earlier appointment of five special assistants (SAs) – Barrister Zafarullah, Miftah Ismail, Senator Dr Asif Kirmani, Dr Mussadiq Malik and Khawaja Zaheer Ahmad that followed the cabinet formation – the latest selection of another two SAs – Nasiq Iqbal Bosal and Haroon Akhtar – has completed the circle of nominations for top positions.

Besides Nawaz Sharif’s ineligibility-forced omission, former Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan opted out as per his announcement made before the apex court handed down its July 28 ruling that he will stay out of the federal cabinet regardless of the judgment.

Nawaz Sharif’s ejection from the top office implemented, though for the time being, the much-touted minus-one formula, being talked about since long, in the PML-N is non-existent.

However, he has turned out to be the rare ousted prime minister, who attracted large crowds during his four-day GT Road travel to Lahore after his exit from office, and the punishment imposed on him caused large-scale sympathy wave due to the minor ground on which he was declared ineligible.

The return of the ex-premier’s whole team in the federal cabinet with reshuffling of some key portfolios demonstrated that he holds the complete sway. Abbasi, who declared on the very first day that Nawaz Sharif’s policies would be continued and implemented in letter and spirit, has fully come up to the expectations of the ousted premier since assumption of high office.

While the deposed prime minister has nothing to do with the day-to-day working of the federal government and Abbasi is the man running the show, the federal team is committed and beholden to Nawaz Sharif for its positions.

Everybody looks towards him. He is the unique disqualified ex-premier, who relishes such a firm control while being out of office. As he has no concern with the official work, he is focusing on improvement of his party among the masses through its reorganisation. His campaign is aimed at galvanising and making it more relevant popular.

During his important post-disqualification journey from Islamabad to Lahore via GT Road, Nawaz Sharif took along only five cabinet and official position holders – Tallal Chaudhry, Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, Abid Sher Ali, Khawaja Saad Rafique and Marvi Memon – and let other members of the federal team preoccupied with their official work in the federal capital.

The former prime minister has thus bifurcated the work of the government and the PML-N. Abbasi and his ministers are attending to the official assignments while Nawaz Sharif is running the party.

This division of functions will continue till the fresh general elections. Obviously, the ex-premier will be leading the PML-N into the fresh parliamentary polls. Before the grand electoral exercise, he will keep touring different parts of Pakistan to tell the people his side of the story regarding his disqualification and will let the federal team work as per its calls of duty. Even after wrapping up the GT Road rally, he has not called too many cabinet members to Lahore for consultations. They have also gone their own way. 

While some of Nawaz Sharif’s opponents want to see him in jail sooner than later, Sheikh Rashid, who is politically sharp and shrewd, once opposed such action as he knows that it will further politically benefit the ex-premier more than what his ineligibility had produced for him.

The former prime minister’s adversaries particularly those belonging to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) often taunt him saying that his next destination is Adiala jail of Rawalpindi. Some of them have even given him ‘friendly advice’ that he, Maryam, Hussain, Hassan, Capt. (R) Safdar and Finance Minister Senator Ishaq Dar should get pre-arrest bails before they would be taken into custody by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in four references that it is preparing to file in accountability court on the Supreme Court direction.