ISLAMABAD – The first signs of rift have emerged between the Sharifbrothers over the issue of Chairman Senate nomination.
Former PM Nawaz Sharif is in favour of Pervaiz Rashid being nominated forthe top job in the Senate, while Shahbaz Sharif along with other partyleaders are averse to Rashid in view of his strained relationship with thesecurity establishment, background discussions with well-placed PML-Nmembers suggest.
New party President and Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif, PrimeMinister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique, andmost of the senior members of the party’s Punjab chapter are in favour ofnominating Leader of the House in Senate and PML-N Chairman Raja ZafarulHaq instead, given that he is acceptable to both the government andopposition members and enjoys good ties with the establishment.
The internal rift in the party is said to be the main reason the party hasfailed to finalise its nominee for Senate chairman, despite multiple roundsof consultations. Meetings are frequently taking place at the residence ofChaudhry Munir Hidayatullah in Islamabad and Jati Umra in Raiwind.
The internal party rift is also cited as another key reason for the PML-N’soffer to support Raza Rabbani if the PPP nominates him.
Railways Minister Saad Rafique is playing an active role in ensuringPML-N’s numerical strength in the party to get N-League’s chairmanelevated. For this purpose, he has reached out to independent candidates,Muttahida Qaumi Movement and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl. However, sourcessaid the political parties had conveyed to Rafique that they would notsupport a ‘controversial’ figure like Rashid.
In October 2016, Rashid had to step down as information minister due to theDawn Leaks controversy, amid accusations that Rashid still vehementlydenies.
“There is an element in the party backed by our top command who believesthat Rashid sacrificed for the party and remained loyal to Sharif throughthick and thin, but has not been rewarded ‘in a big way’. The likes ofRashid, Nehal Hashmi, Daniyal Aziz and Talal Chaudhry are patronised by thesame group,” said a party source who admitted to opposing Rashid’scandidature.
Till the recent past, Zafarul Haq was regarded as the obvious choice forchairman, but after the escalation of tensions between the party and stateinstitutions, Sharif has decided to go with a candidate who holds a ‘tough’stance regarding state institutions, including the security establishmentand the judiciary.
Some circles in the PML-N also support Mushahid Hussain’s candidature,given that he also enjoys a good reputation in government and oppositioncircles, but Sharif and his aides have put weight behind bringing a‘hardliner’ at the helm.
Due to the internal rift, Sharif has not given the go-ahead to Rashid’scandidature, fearing that the ruling party may not attain the required 53votes out of 104 to have its chairman.