- Unraveling of PML-N under Shahbaz Sharif
Imran Khan has finally made it to the office of the prime minister that he had eyed for 22 years. He has defeated PML-N’s Shahbaz Sharif by 80 votes.
Shahbaz Sharif could have given a tougher fight in case he had succeeded in keeping all the opposition parties with him. This failed to happen on account of the inability to build bridges. A lack of humility in the PML-N chief hindered him from making genuine attempts to woo the party’s erstwhile opponents. The PPP claimed that Shahbaz did not have the courtesy to walk over to Asif Ali Zardari and Bilwal-Bhutto-Zardari seated a few feet away during the first two NA sittings. This was required all the more when Shahbaz was contesting for the office of the leader of the house. The PTI, chief on the other hand, who had been equally unguarded in the use of language against opponents, took the initiative to greet both Zardari and Bilawal. Both PPP and Jamaat-e-Islami consequently abstained from voting on Friday. Despite having been thrown out of power and being in dire need of allies, the hubris continues to mar Shahbaz Sharif’s relations with other parties in the opposition. Will the PML-N chief be able to lead the opposition in the NA with this mindset?
There is also disaffection in the PML-N ranks as shown by the 16 extra votes bagged by Ch Pervaiz Elahi. With Shahbaz Sharif leading the party at the national level and Hamza in Punjab and both posing as if they are born to rule and expecting party members to carry out orders like foot soldiers, it can only make the task of the likes of Ch Pevaiz Elahi and Ch Sarwar easy. How can MPAs and MNAs stay loyal to a leadership which metes out a servile treatment to them?
The number of votes polled by Imran Khan indicate that the PTI enjoys a thin majority in the lower house. It remains to be seen how Imran Khan fulfills his election promises while simultaneously keeping his allies together.
