mr42O
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LAHORE - The next general election will probably be more interesting than any such exercise staged in the past. The reason is that the top three parties which will contest are in power at present and voters will be in a position to compare their performance before throwing their weight behind any of them. The PML-N is in power at the Centre and in Punjab and shares authority with two other parties in Balochistan. The PTI is ruling KP, while the PPP is governing Sindh.
Interestingly, the PPP happens to be the oldest party but its chairman – Bilawal – is the youngest and most inexperienced leader compared to his rivals. Mian Nawaz Sharif, who has been heading the PML-N since its inception in the early 90s, is the most experienced leader. He remained chief minister of Punjab for two terms (although incomplete) and has the unique honour of leading the country as prime minister for a third time.
Imran Khan’s Pakistan Terkeek-e-Insaf is the youngest of the three parties. But Kaptaan’s personal popularity and integrity have put the party ahead of the PPP.
What will be the situation in case the general election is held in the near future? Who will don the mantle of the prime minister? If the pattern of the previous elections is anything to go by, the party in power has never won. And when it did, the opposition parties did not accept the results, as a result of which martial law was imposed in July 1977. Always the real opposition party emerged victorious in all elections. Going by this trend, it is Imran Khan’s turn to rule the country after the fresh election. But if the PML-N gets majority seats and thus retains the driving seat, it will be setting a new record in country’s parliamentary history.
Realising well that winning the next election will be a challenging task, the PML-N is trying to outperform its rivals. It is launching gigantic projects which are more visible on ground and have the potential to bring more votes. The pace of completion of the new projects would be expedited as the next election gets closer. The PML-N government gave tractors, taxis, laptops and many other incentives to people to win their political support in the previous election. The energy projects, the China Pakistan Economic Corridor, Metro train and the money laundering scheme are being launched mainly for better electoral gains.
The PML-N leadership has a vast experience of contesting – and winning – the elections. It knows well what arrangements are needed before and during the election to get desired results. The PTI is also coming up with good ‘people friendly’ initiatives in KP. It knows that it will get votes in other provinces on the basis of its performance in this province.
The PPP is thinking of various measures to win back its past glory. But it is a challenging task for the inexperienced Bilawal.
True that his father is a former president, mother a two-time prime minister and maternal grandfather also a former president and prime minister, Bilawal knows that reviving the party in the given situation is a very difficult task. He is also fully cognizant of the fact that the performance of the PPP government under the leadership of his father is something which deprived the party of popular support. In such a situation, the real fight at the national level will be between the PML-N and the PTI.
The most important question for the Sharifs at the time of the next election will be: Which Sharif should lead the country if the party wins election.
Under the constitution, anybody can become prime minister for as many terms as he wins the required number of seats. This was the situation in the original 1973 Constitution. But Gen Pervez Musharraf , through an amendment, barred anyone from becoming prime minister or chief minister for more than two terms.
This bar was imposed to seal the political future of both Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto, his major rivals then.
But the restriction was annulled through the 18th amendment during the PPP rule. It was because of the said amendment that Mr Sharif could return to power for a third term. The question is: Will he now go for a fourth term? The answer to this question is not easy to find as a number of options are available to him.
Option one is that he himself should remain in the driving seat. (Although he is enjoying his third term, his love for power remains un-satiated. He said in Karachi recently that when one starts understanding the state business, the five-year term comes to an end).
The second is that he should bring forward his brother Shahbaz Sharif who led Punjab during 1997-99 and has been running the province for the past seven years.
(Shahbaz Sharif has been trying to become the prime minister for a long time now. There was a time when Shahbaz Sharif wanted to become prime minister with Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan as the Punjab chief minister. But it’s not clear whether the old dream stands a chance in the new situation when some factors have changed). Another possibility is that Mian Nawaz Sharif brings in his daughter Maryam, who is already being groomed for a bigger role. If she is afforded such an opportunity, it will be like equating her to Benazir Bhutto, who had started her career as prime minister without any experience of the lower tiers of government.
Hamza Shahbaz may be given some important role at the provincial level.
Which Sharif to hold the torch in future?
Interestingly, the PPP happens to be the oldest party but its chairman – Bilawal – is the youngest and most inexperienced leader compared to his rivals. Mian Nawaz Sharif, who has been heading the PML-N since its inception in the early 90s, is the most experienced leader. He remained chief minister of Punjab for two terms (although incomplete) and has the unique honour of leading the country as prime minister for a third time.
Imran Khan’s Pakistan Terkeek-e-Insaf is the youngest of the three parties. But Kaptaan’s personal popularity and integrity have put the party ahead of the PPP.
What will be the situation in case the general election is held in the near future? Who will don the mantle of the prime minister? If the pattern of the previous elections is anything to go by, the party in power has never won. And when it did, the opposition parties did not accept the results, as a result of which martial law was imposed in July 1977. Always the real opposition party emerged victorious in all elections. Going by this trend, it is Imran Khan’s turn to rule the country after the fresh election. But if the PML-N gets majority seats and thus retains the driving seat, it will be setting a new record in country’s parliamentary history.
Realising well that winning the next election will be a challenging task, the PML-N is trying to outperform its rivals. It is launching gigantic projects which are more visible on ground and have the potential to bring more votes. The pace of completion of the new projects would be expedited as the next election gets closer. The PML-N government gave tractors, taxis, laptops and many other incentives to people to win their political support in the previous election. The energy projects, the China Pakistan Economic Corridor, Metro train and the money laundering scheme are being launched mainly for better electoral gains.
The PML-N leadership has a vast experience of contesting – and winning – the elections. It knows well what arrangements are needed before and during the election to get desired results. The PTI is also coming up with good ‘people friendly’ initiatives in KP. It knows that it will get votes in other provinces on the basis of its performance in this province.
The PPP is thinking of various measures to win back its past glory. But it is a challenging task for the inexperienced Bilawal.
True that his father is a former president, mother a two-time prime minister and maternal grandfather also a former president and prime minister, Bilawal knows that reviving the party in the given situation is a very difficult task. He is also fully cognizant of the fact that the performance of the PPP government under the leadership of his father is something which deprived the party of popular support. In such a situation, the real fight at the national level will be between the PML-N and the PTI.
The most important question for the Sharifs at the time of the next election will be: Which Sharif should lead the country if the party wins election.
Under the constitution, anybody can become prime minister for as many terms as he wins the required number of seats. This was the situation in the original 1973 Constitution. But Gen Pervez Musharraf , through an amendment, barred anyone from becoming prime minister or chief minister for more than two terms.
This bar was imposed to seal the political future of both Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto, his major rivals then.
But the restriction was annulled through the 18th amendment during the PPP rule. It was because of the said amendment that Mr Sharif could return to power for a third term. The question is: Will he now go for a fourth term? The answer to this question is not easy to find as a number of options are available to him.
Option one is that he himself should remain in the driving seat. (Although he is enjoying his third term, his love for power remains un-satiated. He said in Karachi recently that when one starts understanding the state business, the five-year term comes to an end).
The second is that he should bring forward his brother Shahbaz Sharif who led Punjab during 1997-99 and has been running the province for the past seven years.
(Shahbaz Sharif has been trying to become the prime minister for a long time now. There was a time when Shahbaz Sharif wanted to become prime minister with Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan as the Punjab chief minister. But it’s not clear whether the old dream stands a chance in the new situation when some factors have changed). Another possibility is that Mian Nawaz Sharif brings in his daughter Maryam, who is already being groomed for a bigger role. If she is afforded such an opportunity, it will be like equating her to Benazir Bhutto, who had started her career as prime minister without any experience of the lower tiers of government.
Hamza Shahbaz may be given some important role at the provincial level.
Which Sharif to hold the torch in future?
Wase he log deedth ho Jayen ge.
which party will u support in 2018 btw?
