Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Nawaz Sharif, who has been maintaining a low profile, will break his silence on various issues once the party enters election mode, according to some party leaders.
They suggest that Nawaz, who reassumed the party presidency in May this year, will explain to the nation how he and his party were not beneficiaries but rather the victims in both PML-N-led setups.
However, a former spokesperson for the PML-N chief believes Nawaz no longer has the option to play the ‘victim card’. For that, he argues the PML-N would need to sit in the opposition and face the challenges posed by its rivals in the government to justifiably claim victimhood.
Nawaz is expected to reorganize the party, hold rallies, and build a political narrative to regain the political ground lost to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in Punjab.
Every few weeks, news circulates that Nawaz will start touring different provinces, holding rallies, and engaging actively with the public. The most recent reports indicate that PML-N is planning rallies for Nawaz after Ashura.
Senior PML-N leader Javeed Latif has repeatedly urged Nawaz to break his silence and reveal the bitter truths to the nation. However, a senior party official told The Express Tribune over the weekend that Nawaz would not break his silence at this stage, as it would only cause problems for his party’s government.
He explained that public addresses or media engagements would force Nawaz to take a position on the current government’s decisions. Taking a position would mean committing to a stance, which he wants to avoid.
In his view, Nawaz speaking out would create significant issues for the government led by his brother Shehbaz Sharif. He confided that neither the current nor the previous PML-N-led setups were organic.
This analysis aligns with Javed Latif’s comments that there are harsh realities known but unspoken. The PML-N official stated that Nawaz Sharif and his party were not the beneficiaries but rather the victims of these setups.
He revealed that many in the party believe the PML-N should focus on the economy aggressively, and once it achieves some economic stability, it should push for early elections.
“Even if this means sitting in the opposition,” he added.
Continuing with the current setup will undermine PML-N’s position.” He warned that the PML-N was rapidly losing political ground due to rising electricity bills, which were alienating even its most loyal supporters.
PML-N Information Secretary and Senior Punjab Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb was approached multiple times for the party’s official stance but was unavailable for comment.
Additionally, there is no official spokesperson for the party president to provide clarification. Information about Nawaz Sharif’s thoughts or positions on issues typically comes through Irfan Saddique or Rana Sanaullah.
Former Sindh governor Zubair, who previously served as Nawaz’s spokesperson, said that PML-N no longer has the leeway to play the victim card, especially after two consecutive terms in government.
He stated that the only viable option for the PML-N is to deliver results; without performance, he added, its political survival is at risk.
He noted that Nawaz has limited options if he speaks: either criticize his own government or endorse its actions. “He must be aware of the negative consequences of both choices.”
The third option is to speak when the time is right. However, he said that even then, the PML-N would have limited room to extricate itself from its current predicament.
He suggested that the absence of a spokesperson for the PML-N chief appears to be a strategy to keep away from the public eye. Irfan Saddique, he clarified, is not a spokesperson.
