The shuffle that never came?
The prime minister’s long absence did not help the ruling party deal with news reports of discontent within its ranks, especially after talk of ‘evaluation’ of ministries in preparation for the ‘cabinet shuffle’. The word is that insiders took the evaluation decision as a reaction to dharna pressure, and some were not happy at the prospect of losing some of their privileges, while other did not quite like some of the benefits likely to come the way of some of their friends. Either way, ministerial evaluations do not seem too high on the PM’s agenda anymore, at least not as high as marketing Pakistan abroad and entertaining regional guests.
It seems the decision to revamp his team has become double-edged for Nawaz. If these reports are true, and indeed inter-party dissent is making the PM back down, then he risks becoming weak externally and internally. Now, if he sticks to the cleansing, there is risk of blocs falling off, even turning to the PTI, which would rub the N-league the wrong way politically. And if he caves in and decides not to upset the cart just yet, then he loses not just political points, but also his standing in the league. If posturing can weaken him once, it can do it again, and a dangerous precedent will be set.
Political prudence, of course, dictates that the prime minister should stick to his stated position. Even he found it difficult to deny that his cabinet arrangement was not working. There are multiple ministries heaped on some people, while the most important ones are without a full-time head. Also, the behaviour of some of his senior ministers has been repeatedly called into question, not just by dharna opponents but also the opposition in the House, which stood by the government in its time of crisis. Also, while political pressure has eased, it has not gone away. Nawaz’s concern, therefore, must be making his government more functional. And if that means confronting disgruntled elements within the party, he must be ready to act like a leader who can take tough decisions in tough times.