Shehbaz, who is more pragmatic than his brother, changes the PML-N’s position
ISLAMABAD: Shehbaz Sharif, the president of the PML-N, and other like-minded party figures have not only changed the party’s anti-establishment narrative but also audaciously rejected the traditional wisdom that winning the polls depended heavily on popular opinion.
The PML-N president, who is renowned for his tenacity, has finally been able to divert his party’s ire away from the retired top brass of the armed forces, particularly former army chief Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa and ex-spymaster Lt. Gen. Faiz Hameed. This comes just days after the PML-N decided to abandon its anti-establishment stance.
The party, which made sure that Gen. Bajwa, the then-army leader, granted an extension in service, had subsequently spoken out against the judges and generals, whom it claimed were accountable for the PTI’s victory.
Since adopting a new narrative that the party’s leader, former premier Nawaz Sharif, had left everything to God, as if it had the choice not to do so, the PML-N has chosen to refrain from attacking them recently.
Political analyst Zaigham Khan observed, “The establishment is permanent; the establishment is not just the names of the officers, particularly the retired [ones].” “Keeping the selected retired military officials at gunpoint doesn’t make one anti-establishment,” he continued.
According to the political expert, Nawaz was attempting to portray some retired military officials, such as Bajwa and Faiz, as “so-called” members of the establishment.
Nawaz should not “adopt an anti-establishment stance,” it says.
“They [Bajwa and Faiz] are just retired military officials; they are not the establishment. When they were serving, they were a part of the business, but they are no more, he said.
The political expert claimed that the PML-N had not only changed its story, but that its contradictions were also obvious.
Zaigham further, saying that the PML-N passed legislation to extend Gen. Bajwa’s tenure after holding him responsible for the party’s problems. He continued by saying that the action had made all future army chiefs eligible for extension.
If the PML-N had adopted a position opposing the current one, it might have received credit for being anti-establishment. However, the PTI is presently receiving those points, the political expert pointed out.
Ahmed Bilal Mehboob, president of the Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency (PILDAT), disagreed with Zaigham and claimed that the PML-N did have a strong anti-establishment message. Nawaz Sharif is the only premier who repeatedly (twice) attempted to impose his authority as the prime minister, according to more than just a narrative.
During background discussions, a PML-N leader, requesting not to be named, said from PML-N’s anti-establishment narrative starting from Gujranwala rally in 2020 to becoming the country’s prime minister in 2022 and from granting the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) the status of a Special Vetting Agency (SVA) to ratifying the army’s role in national development, it was Shehbaz who never had any confusion where he wanted to take his party.
“His [Shehbaz’s] narrative has finally prevailed,” the party leader added.
The PML-N leader said it now appeared that the “anti-Bajwa and Faiz” narrative was nothing but a “hoax” as it was used repeatedly to sway public opinion in the party’s favour — firstly, because the then premier Imran Khan’s government was smoothly sailing on the same page with the powerful circles and secondly, when the PTI chief adopted an anti-establishment stance and buried his rival’s “sanctity of vote “slogan with it.
However, he added, Imran had his own weaknesses as he would speak against the establishment during the day but beg them to stand by his side at night — a fact revealed by none other than the current ISI DG, Lt-Gen Nadeem Anjum, during his maiden press conference almost a year ago.
Just a few days ago, Nawaz singled out former army chief and top spymaster as the “enemies of Pakistan” but now decided to look the other way instead of demanding justice against the alleged conspirators of his ouster in 2017 as apparently his party, especially Shehbaz, did want any confrontation with the powers that be.
Even during his time in the PM Office, Shehbaz replaced the IB with the ISI as he had granted SVA status to the spy agency, empowering it to complete the verification and screening of all government officers for inductions, important postings, appointments and promotions in June 2022.
In July 2023, the Shehbaz-led government gave vast powers to the military beyond its original mandate through a series of amendments to the Pakistan Army Act, 1952, legitimising the GHQ’s role in carrying out activities otherwise considered the prerogative of the civilian authorities.
Apart from increasing the army’s mandate, the bill moved by then Defence Minister Khawaja Asif provided legal cover to the military’s unbridled activities in the economic domain under the ‘welfare through affiliated entities’ clause.
The PML-N-led government not just enhanced army’s role but retrospectively gave legal cover to it and its affiliated entities in their past activities.
Besides, Shehbaz’s coalition government also earned the reputation of turning the highest legislative forum as a “rubberstamp parliament” as dozens of bills were passed without even reading or debating on them during the last few days of previous government.
Among them was a bill – now a law – through which the federal government established a Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) — a hybrid civil-military forum, which the government set up to actualise the Economic Revival Plan, claimed to be a bigger financial project than the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Initially, the SIFC was thought to be a forum to attract investment from abroad but it reportedly has now been given mandate to decide domestic economic issues as well.
It is also no secret that the PML-N leadership did not utter a single word during its 16-month rule but suddenly woke up from slumber to demand accountability of the former judges and generals.
However, Shehbaz seems to have the PML-N tuck in bed again and so far has the last laugh as the party will now be focusing on the country’s economic revival.
