What’s next?

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz finally settled down with the policy not to go for any extra-constitutional measure to dislodge the incumbent government and let it fall with its own burden of failures and follies, as Mian Nawaz Sharif knew it well that in case of any sort of deadlock between the political forces the ‘third force’ would intervene and he do not want to see them in the commanding position.

In the series of party meetings held in Riwind and Islamabad over the past month or so there was clear divide in the party leadership one group wanted immediate launching of ‘go Zardari Movement’ to dislodge the President Zardari lead government within a couple of months, or before the citrus become ripe as phrased by Kh. Mohammad Asif known hardliner in the party, while the other group was against confrontation with the government as they were not supportive of extra-constitutional way of removing the government in the fear of Establishment stepping in to warp up the incumbent political dispensation bringing in some set-up of their choice on the pattern of Bangladesh Model and leaving the politicians across the national spectrum high and dry.

An insider in the PML-N shared the debate on the issue in one of the meeting held in Riwind where Mian Nawaz Sharif after a heated debate and arguments for and against the launching of ‘Go Zardari Movement’ put a question that in case they (N-League) would succeed in dislodging the government through street power and Establishment would come for interim period then who would guarantee that it would hold elections within 90 days period and would not extend their rule for 900 days. Obviously there is no guarantee and doves in the party prevailed on the hawks, who are in favour of showdown with PPP lead coalition government in the streets.

Finally, the PML-N has decided to bring some changes in their plan to dislodge the Zardari lead coalition government and it was decided to drumbeat the corruption, incompetence and mal-governance of the ruling elite to discredit them in the public eye.

The issue of forestalling the upcoming Senate elections in March next year become meaningless in new game plan and the party has decided to channel all its energies to highlight the follies and failures of the ruling elite, particularly their corruption scandals, in public and to exert maximum pressure on the government that it should cave in and general elections would be held under a neutral setup to be established as per the satisfaction of all the political stakeholders.

It is with this tilt in the N-League policy that they have started hitting hard the government on their administrative and financial blunders and in the process they came across a unique opportunity of ‘Memo Controversy’ involving President’s buddy Hussain Haqqani who is hot waters following his suspicious kicking out from the priced slot of Pakistan Ambassador to US.

Without waiting for the government action or result of the investigation to be carried out by the government on ‘Memo Controversy’ Mian Nawaz Sharif has moved the Supreme Court of Pakistan and as expected achieved his targets as the apex court had not only accepted his plea for hearing and issued notices to the respondents including Chief of Army Staff, DG ISI and President of Pakistan to furnish their reply within 15 days.

The court has further directed for constitution of a commission to solve the mystery shrouding the memo controversy, the move not went normally with the government which had also folded

up their sleeves and their leaders blew hot and cold against the apex court decision with a loud message to them that government would not let anyone infringe upon the powers of Parliament and executive. The government had also discredit the name proposed by the apex court to head the inquiry commission while also not placed the name of former ambassador Hussain Haqqani on Exit Control List(ECL) coming in direct conflict with the superior judiciary.

It is all what Mian Nawaz Sharif wanted and the things are unfolding as per his plan, a political observer commented on the apparent stalemate like situation between the judiciary and executive where the chances of dislodging of the government through controlled Establishment’s role seemed imminent.

Even if the things would not go their way even then the N-Leaguers would definitely be causing much damage to the public image of Pakistan People’s Party and its Co-Chairman President Asif Ali Zardari.

In the process the PML-N, which is generally believed as natural ally of Establishment, has slightly drifted away from their position as the party leadership is not exactly toeing the policy of their old friends and the closeness between the Pakistan Tehreek-I-Insaf with Establishment has also cast negative aspersion on the decade old relations between the two(PML-N and Establishment).

Even some of the party leaders were seeing their relations with Establishment in the past as mistake on their part and on a number of occasions the central party leadership, without naming Pakitan Tehreek-I-Insaf, has publicly warned the Establishment to stop patronizing it.

The resignation of Leader of Opposition Ch. Nisar Ali Khan from the Chairmanship of Public Accounts Committee leveling serious allegations on government that it was creating hurdles in the smooth functioning of the committee, has served as an other severe blow to the already crises stricken government.

The next move on the cards would be resignations from the assemblies and Ch. Nisar Ali Khan said, “resignation from assemblies is one of the options and party leadership will decide when to exercise it.”

In the given placement of pieces on the national chessboard the political observers saw Mian Nawaz Sharif in quite comfortable position and expected some startling steps to unnerve the ruling coalition and would try to bring it down on its knees. While in the views of others he was playing a dangerous game by implicating the apex judiciary in the affairs, which could better be tackled at some other forums, and if the things would not unfold as he expected the judiciary could suffer enormously.