LEGAL and administrative hurdles created in the past to isolate PML(N) supremo Mian Nawaz Sharif from political mainstream proved a transitory phenomenon as the General Council meeting of the party on Tuesday declared him elected unopposed as President of PML(N) after a gap of six years. Nawaz lost the party office besides the coveted position of the Prime Minister of the country as a result of the Supreme Court decision in the Panama case but he was acquitted last year in all graft cases against him, paving the way for his active and open participation in political activities.
There can be no two opinions that the PML (N), as its very nomenclature suggests, is identified with MNS and that is why attempts were made to detach him from the party as part of the strategy to dent the popularity of the party. No doubt, Nawaz was removed both as PM and the party President but for all practical purposes he remained the de-facto head of the party. Attempts were also made to create seeds of differences between MNS and Shehbaz Sharif but the latter remained totally faithful to the party veteran and ran it as per guidelines given by his elder brother. The change over, however, assumes special significance as Nawaz will now have formal power and authority to lead one of the popular parties of the country. Irrespective of the leadership qualities of Shehbaz Sharif, the fact remains he was unable to concentrate properly on party affairs because of his demanding responsibility as chief executive of the country, especially at a time when Pakistan is faced with numerous challenges. In the backdrop of the not so satisfactory performance of PML(N) in general elections, there was a need to reorganize the party so that it regains its lost grounds not only in Punjab but also in other provinces of Pakistan as well. As his daughter Maryam Nawaz is performing superbly in Punjab under his guidance, the image of the party has already started improving in the eyes of the general public and now Nawaz will have an opportunity to implement his vision and agenda with somewhat ease. Nawaz has a point in saying the country would have scaled heights of progress and development had he not been removed from power. The expectation that he would become the Prime Minister for the fourth time could not materialize but he still has visible and invisible clout to get his agenda implemented. His pro-people posture is a ray of hope for inflation-ridden people and hopefully he would not disappoint them.
