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LAHORE – On the face of it, the PML-N should now be moving forward as a single, cohesive political force as the two apparently divergent narratives it had been following for quite some time stand reconciled.
It is now the new party line that whether it be the policy of reconciliation or resistance, both mean to achieve a single objective of ensuring transparent elections.
Many in the PML-N believe that Friday’s statement by party’s Punjab president Rana Sana Ullah and Saturday’s speech by party president Shehbaz Sharif explaining his policy of reconciliation should be enough to put an end to the ongoing debate both within and outside the party about its narratives being against each other. What Shehbaz Sharif said on Saturday while addressing the party workers in Sialkot clearly explains the two-pronged strategy of the party to ensure transparent elections and the civilian supremacy in the country.
“Reconciliation is nothing but [seeking] transparent elections,” he told a group of charged party workers. He also made it clear that if the purpose is not achieved through reconciliation, there would be no other option left to launch a legal and political battle, a reference to the narrative of resistance followed by Mian Nawaz Sharif.
“Our demand with all constitutional institutions whether it be judiciary, the parliament, the executive, the Election Commission or any other institution is that this country needs transparent elections, rule of law and civilian supremacy in any case. If we don’t get transparent elections, we will be left with no other choice but to utilise all legal and political options… This is our right,” he explained, and went on to say: “If I talked of reconciliation, did I receive any sweets in exchange.” He said his critics were unduly criticising him for his policy of reconciliation which was nothing but to ensure transparent elections.
Party’s Punjab president Rana Sana Ullah who is associated with Maryam Nawaz Sharif camp, said a day earlier that there was no conflict between the two visibly different narratives of the PML-N. “We want to have free and fair elections in 2023. It does not matter if the purpose is served either through ‘reconciliation’ or by ‘resistance’,” he then maintained. He also stated that there would be no need of putting up any resistance if the party gets the right of transparent elections through reconciliation.
It is, however, yet to be seen if the war of narratives within the party ends after the statements by the two senior party leaders saying that there was no difference between the two narratives as the purpose remained the same. “It is only the difference in approach to achieve a single objective. Today’s statement by Mian Shehbaz Sharif explaining his narrative of reconciliation, and yesterday’s statement by Rana Sana Ullah have reconciled the apparently two different narratives of the PML-N,” Malik Ahmad Khan, the spokesperson for Shehbaz Sharif told The Nation while commenting on the recent statements by two important party leaders. He said the procedural differences to achieve one purpose should not be portrayed as ‘differences’ within the PML-N.
May be the situation changes after this clarity about the two narratives, two visibly different approaches have been running parallel in the party. Party Quaid Mian Nawaz Sharif is symbolising the narrative of resistance (Respect for vote) while the party president Shehbaz Sharif associates himself with the policy of reconciliation. This has created dissensions in the party as it stands divided into two camps. A recent statement by party’s vice-president Javid Latif and the show-cause notice served on him by Mian Nawaz Sharif is a clear manifestation of it. The absence of Shehbaz Sharif from two important party meetings can be seen in this perspective also. It would be clear in the coming days if the clarification by Shehbaz Sharif about his reconciliation mantra had any impact on the party ranks and file.