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Fresh challenge: Nawaz faces dissent within party
By Naveed Miraj
Published: November 13, 2014
ISLAMABAD: A 15-member bloc of parliamentarians — earlier elected as independent candidates who later joined the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz — may now become a challenge for the Nawaz-led govt, which has seemingly survived the initial onslaught of protests led by Imran Khan and Tahirul Qadri.
The first signs of dissent were visible when Senator Zulfiqar Khosa, once a key ally of Sharifs, went public about his differences with Nawaz and Shahbaz Sharif.
Zulfiqar Khosa and his son Dost Mohammed Khosa are currently leading the group of dissenters. Dost Khosa has been publicly criticising the leadership of PML-N.
Sources close to the ruling party claimed that at least four MNAs are also actively lobbying to create a large pressure group within the party. Abdur Rehman Kanjo, former state minister Sahibzada Nazir Sultan, Najaf Ali and Rahseed Khan are part of the group.
The sources further said that a meeting of the group was held on November 10 in parliamentarian lodges to chart out their strategy for the future. Another dissident, Syed Ghaus Ali Shah, who once has been the president of PML-N in Sindh and a potential candidate for the office of the president, is also upset with the Sharif brothers and is part of the bloc which is trying to create ripples in the party.
Sensing this situation Nawaz met Sahibzada Sultan earlier this month and tried to convince him to withdraw support for the dissident group. The meeting reportedly did not achieve its objective despite assurances and promises of the prime minister. To handle the situation Nawaz has now tasked Federal Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique and Punjab Minister for Labour and Human Resource Raja Ashfaq Sarwar to meet the dissidents and try to address their complaints urgently.
It is pertinent to mention that PML-N holds a clear majority in the National Assembly and a small number of dissidents may not be that much of a worry in terms of parliamentary politics. But prime minister understands that any hint of weakness inside his party affairs can be utilised by the forces that are trying to bring him down and will embolden the opposition leaders like Imran Khan.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 13th, 2014.
By Naveed Miraj
Published: November 13, 2014
ISLAMABAD: A 15-member bloc of parliamentarians — earlier elected as independent candidates who later joined the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz — may now become a challenge for the Nawaz-led govt, which has seemingly survived the initial onslaught of protests led by Imran Khan and Tahirul Qadri.
The first signs of dissent were visible when Senator Zulfiqar Khosa, once a key ally of Sharifs, went public about his differences with Nawaz and Shahbaz Sharif.
Zulfiqar Khosa and his son Dost Mohammed Khosa are currently leading the group of dissenters. Dost Khosa has been publicly criticising the leadership of PML-N.
Sources close to the ruling party claimed that at least four MNAs are also actively lobbying to create a large pressure group within the party. Abdur Rehman Kanjo, former state minister Sahibzada Nazir Sultan, Najaf Ali and Rahseed Khan are part of the group.
The sources further said that a meeting of the group was held on November 10 in parliamentarian lodges to chart out their strategy for the future. Another dissident, Syed Ghaus Ali Shah, who once has been the president of PML-N in Sindh and a potential candidate for the office of the president, is also upset with the Sharif brothers and is part of the bloc which is trying to create ripples in the party.
Sensing this situation Nawaz met Sahibzada Sultan earlier this month and tried to convince him to withdraw support for the dissident group. The meeting reportedly did not achieve its objective despite assurances and promises of the prime minister. To handle the situation Nawaz has now tasked Federal Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique and Punjab Minister for Labour and Human Resource Raja Ashfaq Sarwar to meet the dissidents and try to address their complaints urgently.
It is pertinent to mention that PML-N holds a clear majority in the National Assembly and a small number of dissidents may not be that much of a worry in terms of parliamentary politics. But prime minister understands that any hint of weakness inside his party affairs can be utilised by the forces that are trying to bring him down and will embolden the opposition leaders like Imran Khan.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 13th, 2014.
