- Remember the election?
It is beginning to look, increasingly, as if PML-N is putting time-bombs in its own path to the general election. With barely days of the present government’s tenure left, the party is still without a clear election strategy even as PTI makes inroads into its powerbase — Punjab. Leader-for-life Nawaz seems convinced that the biggest hurdle to another victory would be ‘aliens’, not bulk desertions in south Punjab and Balochistan (with indications of more to follow), divergent points of view within the party and especially PTI snatching the initiative. And there is still no final word, even within PML-N, on whether Nawaz’s single-minded assault on institutions would form core party strategy or new president Shahbaz’s call for restraint.
With all this confusion Ch Nisar’s press conference could hardly have come at a worse time for PML-N, even though he publically ruled our leaving the party or any hard feelings for Nawaz. But the bit about the 40-45 ‘disgruntled MNAs’ was more than a subtle reminder of the insecure state of PML-N, especially so close to the election. And since the party is not coming out with a clear strategy, media is naturally rife with rumours of possible forward blocs and yet more defections. Then there is increasing talk of Nisar’s proximity to Shahbaz, and how that might play out as the new party president asserts his authority.
Now these issues will divert more time from important issues like a comprehensive election manifesto and subsequent mobilisation of the campaign at all levels. PTI-s 11 points have put the ruling party further on the back foot. They have presented a detailed plan to vote for or against, while PML-N has only treated the public to curses and aliens so far in its campaign. Instead of complaining about who allegedly did what to their party and why, PML-N leaders should remember the elections are about the people, and explain what the party intends to do for them. But that will only raise more questions about all the promises they made last time.
