Panama Papers - What does the future have in store for the PM Nawaz?

[najambaloch]

Panama Papers - What does the future have in store for the PM Nawaz?

---Najam Baloch


Bilawal Zardari's recent statement regarding the resignation of PM Nawaz Sharif could have major political ramifications for the latter, despite the fact that chances of Zardari allowing the PPP to support Imran Khan in this movement are fairly slim. But, it can be said that this alliance, however unlikely, could make things extremely difficult for the PM as well as the PMLN government.

It is widely held that the only reason they managed to survive the 2014 Dharna was because of the support they got from the PPP, as no other political party had the resources and numerical strength within the parliament to cause any trouble for the ruling party; had PPP resigned, it would have become nearly impossible for the PMLN to stay in power under those circumstances. This was a major problem for the PTI because they had resigned from the Parliament and no other political force within the parliament was on their side; in-fact, all the so-called parliamentary forces rallied behind the ruling party. So, PMLN used this to their maximum advantage by claiming that PTI aims to destroy and disrupt the ongoing democratic setup.

The role of establishment is all the more important in this regard. General Raheel Sharif's recent statements regarding corruption and his subsequent actions have spoken volumes about his intentions and what he can or might do before his term expires in the next few months. Also, the developments in SIndh with regards to the Dr. Asim Husain would also have a major impact over the relationship between PPP and PMLN.

JI's chief's recent statements can also be factored in; however, JI's role during the last dharna was pretty confusing to say the least, despite being in alliance with the PTI in KP. It would be interesting to see how the JI responds and reacts to the present circumstances. While political parties are doing their part to keep the issue alive, it's the media that is playing the major role in forcing the political parties to respond and react to the situation.

So the next few days are going to be very interesting. It remains to be seen as to what all these political and nonpolitical players have in store for us.