Mian Nawaz Sharif - An Opinion

Society Pakistan & World Affairs
1

Frankly, I was never impressed by Mian Nawaz Sharif. He was singularly unimpressive in his speaking skills, always did come across as plain speaking, but never appeared smart enough to be the leader of a major Islamic country. He started off as a stooge of dictatorship, a representative of establishment, and groomed by General Zia ul Haq and Ghulam Jilani (former Governor of Punjab). Worst of all, in his two tenures as Prime Minister, he was involved in corruption, guilty of unashamed power grab, attack on Supreme Court, needless meddling in affairs of Army, journalism and judiciary. Was kept in prison, sentenced and then exiled out of country as a result of a deal with Musharraf.

After staying out of Pakistan for 8 years, his party split and hijacked by lota league, he came back just weeks before the elections, re-energized his base, bumbled along the way (on again, off again participating in elections), campaigned non-stop for his candidates… and rode a massive anti-Musharraf wave.

And today, PML-N is on the leaderboard of winners in the National Assembly, and have practically routed their lota league opponents of PML-Q. This phenomenon is actually mind-boggling. How a person with such meagre intellectual and leadership talent able to run the most successful election campaingn, without a sympathy vote or support from establishment to spring him forward.

And to contrast them with PML-Q, who was in power, had actually done a lot of work in their constituencies, well-connected in the biradari system of Punjab, and have an overly ambitious leader (Pervez Elahi), and still have lost miserably. So, was the difference Nawaz Sharif, or was the anti-Musharraf sentiment so strong, that anyone would have carried the wave there.

Is this guy merely lucky or good?

2

Re: Mian Nawaz Sharif - An Opinion

His reputations is just as tainted as they come, as far as politics is concerned. He had his share of scandals as well.

Now about this recent roar of popularity. It was for a few factors as i see it:

  1. Anti-musharraf sentiment

  2. His being re-deported illegally, certainly gave him the upper hand (and sympathy). People forgot that he had indeed signed a 'contract', whether it was legal or not is another issue.

  3. His voicing for the Judges being restored. He made it a part of the mandate. Because the common folks identified with the Lawyers moment so well, so because of this sentiment already present and him adopting that just upped his votes a notch.

  4. Promise for a change.

  5. Him being back on the scene, basically shattered the other contenders of Q-league because they were basically looked at as 'lotas' who were once a part of his party or just simply adopted the name of his party for the sake of cutting into his votes because he was absent. This goes along the lines of repraisal, somewhat.

Now, having said that:

He did do some great things for the country as well like Motorway scheme, Yellow cab, nuclear tests at a time when India had just exploded theirs. And so on...

3

Re: Mian Nawaz Sharif - An Opinion

he is better then mush and zarday etc

4

Re: Mian Nawaz Sharif - An Opinion

Faisal, i don't know which part of Pakistan you belong, but it seems from your post that you have no idea of what people think in areas where PML (N) gets its votes from.

5

Re: Mian Nawaz Sharif - An Opinion

It is an anti-incumbency/anti-Mush vote. People in Punjab stopped voting for PPP since the last time PPP ruled over Pakistan. So, like the rest of the country, it was a referendum on Musharraf, with the regionally strong party everywhere winning. I guess asking why PML(N) wins (mainly) in Punjab is a bit like asking why MQM wins in Karachi or BNP wins in Balochistan. And it is, a regional party, with a heavy Punjab presence, and a few seats here and there.

That said, Nawaz is a bumbling and incoherent. It rarely appears that he has the ability to talk about any given topic in the world without dealing exclusively in badly expressed platitudes.

6

Re: Mian Nawaz Sharif - An Opinion

I have absolutely an idea why they vote for him. Given a choice between PPP or PML-Q, I'd vote for PML-N too (in fact I did, in that mock GS vote), but I still stand by my comments above. :) Unless you claim that he is a great leader, then we can have a chat about it.

7

Re: Mian Nawaz Sharif - An Opinion


Actually, I don't quite agree with this analogy. Punjab is a lot more competitive compared to Karachi. PPP and PML-N always duke out very tight races in Punjab. Which ever party carries Punjab, makes the federal government, hence the ping pong in 1990's. BB, NS, BB, NS.

So, no, Punjab is no slam dunk for PML-N.

8

Re: Mian Nawaz Sharif - An Opinion

sorry to derail ur thread a bit here Faisal...

But what do u think of the Nawaz-Zardari pact that they made?

9

Re: Mian Nawaz Sharif - An Opinion

Sure its more competetive Faisal, but it still is a largely regionally popular party fighting it out with a more nationally spread out party. You can switch Karachi to Urban Sindh in the MQM analogy.

PML usually isnt a significant presence in provinces besides Punjab.

10

Re: Mian Nawaz Sharif - An Opinion

Frankly, the whole raison d'etre of PML (N or Q or whatever) is to capture anti-PPP vote. So a Zardari-Sharif pact makes no long-term sense. Sharif will just dilute his anti-PPP credentials. Yes, it makes sense for the single-point anti-Musharraf scenario, but otherwise, if you take anti-PPP out, then what is PML-N. The candidates from both parties are highly switchable (they run from one party's ticket one time and the other party in the next election).

PML-N is slightly right of center, and PPP is left of center. There is no long term synergy. My guess is PML-Q is gone in the near future, and we are back to two major political parties, plus a spattering of religious/regional parties and MQM.

11

Re: Mian Nawaz Sharif - An Opinion

Yea that's what i think too....

Lets hope it lasts for longer than expected, and they work to please the people before their post-instincts kick in again.

12

Re: Mian Nawaz Sharif - An Opinion

[quote]

The candidates from both parties are highly switchable (they run from one party's ticket one time and the other party in the next election).

[/quote]

Thats partly why Im hoping PPP is in a position to form the govt without needing PML (N). There needs to be more ideological distinction.

That said, the presence of Bhutto and the rallying cry associated with him, atleast keeps PPP a little left wing. I find it funny however to find minimum wages and other such left wing staples on PML(N) agenda, a supposedly right of center party.

13

Re: Mian Nawaz Sharif - An Opinion


Again, I respectfully disagree. This election is disappointing because PML-N is limited to Punjab, but if you look at election results of 90's, PML-N was spread in three provinces (they were never seriously in Sindh). This time, the whole Balochistan is written off and PML-Q is in control there. Balochistan is always an oddball, and tribal loyalties are much stronger than other parts of the country. And I don't see PML-N in NWFP either. My guess is these elections are dominated by anti-Mush electoral strategies and seat adjustments. A few years down the road, when Mushraf is out of the picture, both PPP and PML (whatever name/faction/symbol) will remain the only two large national parties.

14

Re: Mian Nawaz Sharif - An Opinion

I dont ever recall PML (N) having a significant presence in NWFP or Sindh. Balochistan as you say is always a wildcard but I think PML does okay in some parts there maybe. Sindh Im sure of, NWFP maybe you can remember better than me, but I thought it was always an ANP/PPP/Religious Parties fight there with PML competetive here and there.

Thats been the case in the past two elections anyway.

15

Re: Mian Nawaz Sharif - An Opinion

I think that would work better if there are 2 major parties rather than 10 different factions.

Atleast the agendas and votes would be more focused. Things would get done, even if in the swing manner (Dems vs. Repub.) etc...

16

Re: Mian Nawaz Sharif - An Opinion

Nawaz sharif has something to show from his timeperiod.

  1. Putting Pak on the map as a nuclear power
  2. Highways

These cant be denied or forgotten even after many years. The only thing I remember from PPP's tenure is Mr. 10%.

17

Re: Mian Nawaz Sharif - An Opinion

^That's true.

Lets see if the two parties can just put aside their bitter past and work to polish the country's image and rid the terror smudge it's received.

18

Re: Mian Nawaz Sharif - An Opinion

why is the motorway such a big deal? I've only been on it once, and while a perfectly serviceable road is it that much better than the motorway recently completed between Islamabad and Peshawar and the one between Gwadar and Karachi?

19

Re: Mian Nawaz Sharif - An Opinion

^Because it eliminates the need for local roads (GT Road) from Lahore to Islamabad (especially for commercial sector such as trucking and point-point bus travel), a journey that used to take pretty much the entire mornin-evening. On motorway, you're there in 4.5 hours. Less traffic, smoother travel, thus a big achievement.

It was one of the things the country was lacking, any developing nation needs good infrastructure including roads, and this certainly was a landmark in that section of achievements.

20

Re: Mian Nawaz Sharif - An Opinion

I get the need for roads, and bigger roads when smaller roads arent doing the job. As I understand it though, the air travel time between Lahore and Islamabad is about a half hour. Comparable to Islamabad and Peshawar, and I would guess Karachi and Gwadar. Why is the Lahore-Islamabad link touted as a major achievement, and the latter two are an afterthought?

Pakistani Lifestyle vs Western Lifestyle