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Friday March 29, 2024

New political arrangement in Punjab

By Mazhar Abbas
January 20, 2021

Ice has finally melted in year-long strained relationship between Prime Minister Imran Khan and Chaudhrys of Gujrat after former’s back-to-back meetings and telephonic conversations in less than two months attached importance in the backdrop of political developments in the country.

This may lead to the new political arrangements in Punjab before the local bodies’ elections in mid-2021 including a possible replacement of Chief Minister Usman Buzdar. Despite being a coalition partner at the Centre and in Punjab since 2018, the PM and Chaudhrys were practically on no talking terms for the last one year. One of the reasons was Imran Khan’s refusal to accept Ch Moonis Elahi in the cabinet. The PM, during his opposition days, bracketed them as corrupt as Zardari and Sharifs.

PTI’s dilemma in Punjab for years has been its internal groupings which even led to the accusations and counter accusations against each other in PTI’s lone elections in 2013. Now, with the departure of Imran’s closest aide, Jehangir Tareen and poor performance and governance of sitting CM Buzdar, IK has now started considering other options one of which was to rebuild his relationship with his allies Ch Shujaat and Ch Pervaiz Elahi and ice started melting when he visited their residence to inquire after the elder Chaudhry.

In his recent telephonic talk with Pervaiz Elahi, the prime minister went ahead and sought his help in the forthcoming Senate elections and got a positive response. In addition, he gave some additional responsibility to him as well. The two also agreed to meet soon in the backdrop of local bodies’ elections and measures to counter opposition the PML-N.

Sources close to the two parties confirmed that the prime minister will have some more meetings with Q-leadership and the former will also take his party’s Punjab leaders like Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Ch Sarwar, Aleem Khan and others into confidence before taking crucial political decisions including the option of change in the big province.

Sources also hinted that some powerful quarters who are not happy with Buzdar’s performance since long also pursued the PM to consider new political engagements in Punjab, if he wants to counter strong PML-N, which is still the single largest party in Punjab and it would not be easy for the government to go ahead with LB polls with the existing political setup.

In the last two years, the Centre brought some drastic changes but some in haste like replacing four or five IGPs, chief secretaries but none could give desired results. In order to build a positive image of Chief Minister Usman Buzdar, the premier also changed his spokesperson from Fayyazul Hasan Chohan (twice), Shahbaz Gill, Samsam Bokhari, Mian Aslam and now Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan but they all failed or if one puts in this way could not lift the image of inexperienced Buzdar.

PM, himself made frequent visits to Lahore amid criticism that he gave less importance to other provincial capitals and finally he was left with no other choice and told Buzdar that he could not ‘market’ his image in the media despite some of his good work.

When the prime minister for the first time decided to nominate Buzdar as CM Punjab, he sought support from Chaudhrys but for some unknown reasons he started feeling uncomfortable with them to an extent that he allegedly used some derogatory remarks against Ch Moonis Elahi and refused to make him a federal minister. For almost a year he visited Lahore but never met the Chaudhrys.

Few months ago when Chaudhrys boycotted the PM dinner in Islamabad and through their MNA and federal minister Tariq Bashir Cheema organised a separate dinner on the same day, the message was well received by the PM, which was followed by ‘confidence-building measures’ after some PML-N leaders met with Ch Pervaiz Elahi.

Though belatedly, the prime minister finally went to Chaudhrys at their Lahore residence to inquire after Ch Shujaat Hussain and after a long time they discussed steps to remove misunderstandings. Now, under a new political arrangement, the premier reposed his confidence in the PML-Q and Pervaiz Elahi may soon get an important responsibility.

But at the moment, the prime minister has asked him to ensure smooth sailing in the forthcoming Senate elections which will be followed by major political decisions before the local bodies elections, which will be make or break for both the PTI and the PML-Q as any defeat in these polls at the hands of the PML-N could cause unbearable loss to the ruling coalition and PM Imran in particular.

Thus, the PM has finally started considering the much desired change in Punjab and though still a bit reluctant but now more or less convinced that his choice was not right in the first place and second, two and half years enough for someone to deliver.

Well-informed sources said in his last telephonic conversation with Punjab Assembly speaker he asked Pervaiz Elahi to guide the chief minister regarding Senate elections and the former agreed. He also directed the CM to do as per advice by Chaudhrys and the latter assured IK that the ruling coalition would get cent percent results as per arrangement and strength.

In addition, Pervaiz Elahi also hinted at a possible defection from the PML-N, who may vote for the ruling coalition. Sources said the PML-Q did not demand much in the Senate and recommended its trusted Kamil Ali Agha as its candidate on which the PM assured his party’s complete support.

Sources further said the PML-Q leader also suggested to the PM for a review in the new local bodies system before the elections and the latter agreed that he would consider his proposal. Chaudhrys want local bodies on the pattern of 2001 LB system. It is learnt that the PML-Q will discuss the same with other PTI leaders like Pervez Khattak, Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Punjab Governor Ch Sawar.

Thus, in the coming weeks and months the PML-Q will have a more dominant role in tackling the challenges in Punjab, politically, administratively in a bid to counter opposition’s main party ie the PML-N, which was still considered as the main political entity in Punjab and the PTI government could not break either the party or its vote bank.

Sources said those who matter in major decision making have finally succeeded in pursuing the prime minister to reconsider his decision of retaining Chief Minister Usman Buzdar and rebuild his relationship with Chaudhrys in whom they had confidence and perhaps the only persons who still have close contacts with the PML-N MNAs and MPAs.

We may see a new ‘political order’ in Punjab as the PTI government led by PM Imran Khan has been trying different options and despite the latter’s personal and direct involvement it could not cause major dent in PML-N vote bank. While some circles within the PTI were still not sure whether giving all important province to an ally would be a great idea but with so much grouping in the party, the PM perhaps was losing options as 2021 could be make or break year for him and his government.

The writer is a senior columnist and analyst of Geo, The News and Jang.

Twitter:@MazharAbbasGEO