Sharif’s headache

JUI-F clinging to the PML-N

Even though the Prime Minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif is well poised to rule the country without any coalition partners, he has stated that “unity among the people and cooperation among the political parties” is what is needed at the moment. However, a unity of political parties may not be more than a gimmick, for no party would like to take on challenges finding whose solutions is PML-N’s responsibility, at least not for nothing. And the JUI-F is doing exactly this but in a more twisted manner than one could stomach.

The JUI-F has decided to sit on the treasury benches but is not in a coalition with the federal government, though it says that will change at a later stage. The PML-N, with its comfortable lead in the National Assembly, doesn’t need JUI-F’s support merely for numbers though it would look good to have a government with broad based political support. Maulana Fazulur Rehman, chief of JUI-F, is demanding some ministries and other key posts from the PML-N in return for their support of the PML-N, a demand which borders ridiculous and whose compliance would make the PML-N look pliant and weak. That’s why even after a meeting of the two leaders of respective parties no decision could be made as to what the PML-N was willing to concede to the JUI-F. Not getting the signal, though, the JUI-F has clung on to the federal government and hopped on to the treasury benches, for it considers it is worth some ministries and other key posts.

The PML-N, on the other hand, has much more to lose than gain from welcoming the JUI-F in the government. Ministries and chairmanship of some key standing committees aside, the PML-N faces the threat of losing its centre-right image if it acquiesces to extreme right Maulana’s demands. JUI-F follows, supports and wants to implement outdated regressive policies based on what it perceives to be the true version of Islam. And it wants the government to do the same. Thus fearing that the PML-N will have to carry this extra baggage without anything in return, it has resisted the Islamic party’s inclusion in the federal government. Reportedly, the N League has offered one ministry and chairmanships of a few committees to Maulana though he considers himself to be worth more than that and has not accepted the offer yet. Meanwhile, an eight-member committee of both parties is sorting out details on a consensus for placing JUI-F in the coalition. What Nawaz Sharif has to consider now is if the pros of including the JUI-F in the coalition outweigh the cons of doing the same. And if he does decide to include Maulana’s party in the coalition, the N League will then not only have to answer for its conduct of government business but also for the shenanigans of the JUI-F, coming in plenty. Nawaz Sharif might also then find it hard to take along the country’s centre-left and left electorate. He would also risk losing the support of international community, a risk too great to take on right now.