Shahbaz Sharif as PM candidate? Oh, no!

With announcing Shahbaz Sharif as the next Pakistan Muslim League-N candidate for prime minister, Nawaz Sharif has cleared smokes clouding the future of his younger brother and uncertainty in the party circles about Maryam Safdar vs Shahbaz Sharif competition about the coveted office. 

The manners, under which the announcement was leaked, and the history of Nawaz Sharif’s sticking to his words, however, beg several explanations.

Consider.

The development was leaked through a journalist and then a few kitchen cabinet members that Nawaz Sharif, during a party huddle at his Jati Umra palace, had nominated Shahbaz Sharif a candidate for the prime minister in 2018 elections. 

The timing of the announcement is curious. On Tuesday, military chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa was in the Senate committee ensuring the supremacy of Parliament. The popular perception is: the military establishment feels comfortable with Shahbaz Sharif and Chaudhry Nisar. If there were some grey areas between the civilians and the army, the good general has removed that perception. One may think that the announcement elevating the chief minister to the prime minister slot is a goodwill gesture to the establishment by Nawaz Sharif.   

Now, when Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi is running the government comfortably and the PML-N parliamentarians feel comfortable dealing with him, the announcement of his successor would impact his authority and even performance. Shahbaz Sharif is known for his penchant to deal party leaders and parliamentarians with disdain and relies on his blue-eyed bureaucrats to run the government affairs and party affairs. He hardly attends the assembly sessions; he has no time to meet party lawmakers; and he is always in a hurry to plan, execute and get done the projects. With Shahbaz Sharif as prime minister means there is no jubilation in the party ranks.   

Will Nawaz Sharif honour his words is another big question. When the PML-N had a comfortable majority in the National Assembly after the disqualification of Nawaz Sharif, and the party could easily get him to the prime minister office, he was left out. Initially, Nawaz Sharif announced that Shahbaz would be his successor. Within days, he changed his mind and brought Shahid Khaqan Abbasi forward. His second choice was not bad. But the change in the plan fueled rumours of the family rift, especially Maryam-Hamza Shahbaz rivalry to succeed the party and the government offices. Nawaz Sharif has a history of negating his own statements. Remember the late retired Justice, Saeeduz Zaman Siddiqui, who was pitted against Asif Ali Zardari in 2008 to contest the president office. Those were times when the PML-N was to lose the game because of its poor number show. In 2013, when Nawaz Sharif had all the required strength, he preferred little known (or better known as the man with no his own opinion) Mamnoon Hussain over the retired judge for the post. He has already done the same with the Chaudhrys of Gujrat, the Chaudhry of Chakri (Chaudhry Nisar Ali) and the Syed of Khairpur (Ghaus Ali Shah).   

Will Maryam Safdar Nawaz have the last laugh? Very likely, as she is considered close to her father, and the recent confrontation stirred up by Nawaz Sharif against the judiciary is stated to be orchestrated by this eldest daughter.

Shahbaz Sharif or Maryam Safdar Nawaz? Imran Khan or Bilawal Bhutto Zardari?

Let the people deliver a verdict in the 2018 elections.