ISLAMABAD – Life is like a 6-slice apple pie at a 12-guest dinner banquet.If you just sit back and wait for it to come to you, chances are, you’regoing to miss dessert.” ‘The duo’ of Shahbaz Sharif and Chaudhry Nisarhas suffered the same big time.

Senior members of PMLN, right after the disqualification of Nawaz Sharif,had been conceiving Shahbaz as the next prime minister and Chaudhry Nisaras the chief minister Punjab. Putting political optimism aside, conceptionwas logical and viable due to many perspectives.

Both have consistently enjoyed the luxury to be in good books ofestablishment, even in grappling periods of Nawaz Sharif. Seniorjournalists have rightly claimed that Shahbaz Sharif and veteran PPP leaderMakhdoom Amin Fahim were offered premiership by Pervez Musharraf but theyrefused courteously, owing loyalty to their leadership. Right afterdisqualification of Nawaz Sharif previous year, Shahbaz Sharif enjoyed a“clean chit” in Hudabia Paper Mills case, hiding behind technicalities.

Few months before, PMLN had much better ‘lot’ of candidates than othercontenders who defeated their rivals by a massive margin in 2013. PMLNgovernment was being portrayed as a “Relative success” in Punjab due tobetter energy situation and massive cut in oil prices than previous fiveyears, though being lucky due to global ‘cut off’ in petroleum prices.

‘Loyal bureaucracy’ had been proving to be impregnable inertia in politicalsuccess of PMLN in Punjab. ‘Thana Kachahri’ politics of Punjab is greatlyinfluenced by bureaucratic cooperation and it had been ‘all’ for PMLN since2007.

So, had all been flowing smoothly, PMLN lead by Shahbaz Sharif could havewon around 90 seats from Punjab comfortably. Having strong anti PTI allies(MMA, PKMAP, NAP, ANP) and ‘ever ready’ independents from Baluchistan andSindh, Shahbaz Sharif could have easily gathered the required number (136).

Vacuum generated for CM Punjab would have easily filled by senior companionChaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, having a strong’ internal’ and ‘external’ lobbingand long streaked administrative experience of ‘internal affairs’. This isexactly what was planned by ‘The duo’.

But everything went wrong on real life cinema screen. ‘The plan’ was allabout Shahbaz and co. leaving nothing for ‘Maryam Nawaz’. This is whereKalsoom Nawaz turned the tables against ‘The duo’ but in ‘unintentional’favor of Imran Khan. Shahbaz Camp was taken by the ‘shock’ when NawazSharif launched ‘Mujhe Kyu Nikala’ movement, arguably a political ‘suicide’for the camp. Shahbaz and Nisar were literally ‘seized’ by containers ofconfrontation. ‘Take over’ that clearly looked on the cards was graduallyprolonged.

Sources have clearly unveiled that ‘The duo’ was asked to take asubstantial position, practically not verbally, separating themselves from‘The Hawks’ but ‘The duo’ failed miserably. Their ‘inability’ to take bigdecisions was completely exposed that paved the ‘red carpet’ for PTI andImran Khan.

Shahbaz Sharif has been hammered in the back by nobody but his ‘own’brother. There is left nothing much on the plate for ‘Sharifs’ in comingelection. Their winning horses have flown away. ‘Khatam-e-Nabuwat’ movementand ‘Pro-Indian’ image of Nawaz Sharif has completely demolished theirreputation at grass root level. Religious parties have parted their ways.‘Reliable bureaucracy’ have already smelled the smoke after Ahad Cheemaepisode.

The only ‘positive’ that Nawaz Sharif is eyeing at is the ‘prison’ tohimself and Maryam that could potentially launch Maryam as the seriouscontender of premiership after a few years from now when the dust settlesdown. But the important question is who will be the real loser after thelights are switched off? Finger definitely points towards ‘The duo’.

BY: Shahid Khan Baloch