One of the undeniable realities and lessons in politics is that it does not take much time or significance of events for the most loyal of companions to switch sides. The recent Punjab by-elections are a case in point as they were able to cause a seemingly irreparable split between the PML(Q)’s top leadership, Ch Pervez Elahi who became CM Punjab as a result, and the ailing Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain. So close was their alliance, and intense their codependency, that most considered them brothers while in reality they are cousins.
A similar perception exists about the PML(N)’s Nawaz and Shahbaz Sharif; brothers who have stood by each other through thick and thin, steering the party thorough a coup and exile to reemerge as the largest national party in 2013 all the while largely managing to not wash their dirty linen in public. However, the recent ouster of Imran Khan to pave the way for Shahbaz to become PM and Miftah Ismail to be chosen as his finance czar has not gone down well in London where Nawaz has resided for almost three years. There are clearly two camps in the party: the anti-Miftah lot who think the party should not have taken the tough economic decisions at a heavy political cost and the other that wants to go into elections on time and in the meanwhile relatively improve the condition of the economy.
Individuals, such as Abid Sher Ali and Hanif Abbasi, who have issued critical statements against Miftah for his handling of the economy, are staunch proponents of Ishaq Dar running the economy, which is what Nawaz wants. The former finance minister’s last stint was however a mixed bag of artificial currency appreciation and soaring current account deficit. Miftah has taken the brunt of the blow coming from record high inflation caused by measures taken to restart the stalled IMF programme and has been moderately successful in introducing some stability to the market. Any abrupt change at the Finance Ministry, leading to a significant policy shift, would be disastrous.
Perhaps the PML(N) has chosen to forget the thrashing it took last month at the hands of the PTI when it took back Punjab, that too without any help from the establishment, which makes it an organic and genuine win and an indicator of what is to come in the general elections. The infighting, if left unaddressed and allowed to escalate, will make the PML(N) even less competitive against a charged up PTI going forward. All differences, old and future ones, must be resolved behind closed doors to display unity.
