ISLAMABAD:
Ruling Pakistan Muslim league has mulled different options regarding the fallout of the Panama Case decision from the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
The PML-N top leadership held a marathon brainstorming session to deal with the possible implications of the Supreme Court verdict in the Panamagate case.
Soon after a meeting of PML-N’s Sindh chapter, which was convened to discuss the party’s reorganisation in the province, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif went into a low-key huddle with his senior aides – including federal ministers, lawmakers, advisers, special assistants and personal staff members – to discuss the looming Supreme Court judgment and its possible implications for the Sharif family and the ruling party, The Express Tribune has learnt.
“Different possibilities were considered,” said a source privy to the meeting. One of the possible scenarios the meeting discussed was a direct impact on Premier Sharif, the source added.“Some party members hold the opinion that the prime minister might not be directly affected by the apex court verdict – but if the judgment has consequences for his family, it would eventually have a negative impact on the premier, at personal level, and on the PML-N, at the party level,” he said.
To respond to the situation, the PML-N leadership is set to resort to populist measures like reducing power outages – at least for the time being – in order to garner public support and to defuse pressure on the party.
Another possible scenario is the formation of a commission to probe the Panamagate scandal. “In such a scenario, the court can either ask the premier to step down till the commission completes its inquiry. Or the court can allow Sharif to stay on while ordering the formation of a commission to probe into the scandal,” an insider said.
“Either way, it would be damaging for us – given that even if the premier is allowed to work and a commission is formed, pressure would mount on Sharif to step aside and the PTI would fully cash in on the situation.”
A senior PML-N leader said the party leadership was deeply concerned at the apex court’s verdict. “Even if the respondents get a clean chit from the apex court, the situation could be heading towards political confrontation — street agitation, protests, and all that.”