Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has made a series of statements expressing his dissatisfaction with Maryam Nawaz. Recently, he claimed “Maryam Nawaz may be a leader, but she is not my leader.”
While talking to anchorperson Rana Mubashir, he said, “My leader is Nawaz Sharif.”
Abbasi has disapproved of PML-N’s chief organizer and senior vice president Maryam Nawaz’s strategy to fight fire with fire to counter Imran Khan for long. In fact, he had told Nawaz Sharif some years ago that that it would not be possible for him to continue with Maryam Nawaz if she was elevated to party’s top office.
Not allowing his words to elude him, and not starting any fire, he resigned from PML-N on February 1, three days after Maryam returned to Pakistan from a four month long sojourn in London. Not wanting to be an obstacle for Maryam, he said, Maryam Nawaz needs space after assuming her new role as the senior vice-president – “I’ve stepped down from my post but I stand by the party and will always be a part of it”.
Since his resignation earlier this month, Abbasi has engaged with the forum of Reimagining Pakistan, alongside senior politicians including Mustafa Nawaz Khokar and Miftah Ismail.
Abbasi’s statement is ominous. It throws a spotlight on cracks within the PML-N. Senior party leaders have voiced concerns regarding Maryam not taking them on board in making important decisions and her hawkish tactics in dealing with Imran, the establishment and the judiciary. Abbasi’s statement also reflects his hurt for being completely ignored by PML-N’s supremo Nawaz Sharif when he handed the reins of the party to Maryam Nawaz.
The former PM sees his “stature in the party equal to that of Shehbaz Sharif and working under Maryam is not acceptable to him at all. He takes it as his insult,” says journalist Zulqarnain Tahir.
Looks like Abbasi will play a political game of wait and watch. He may not align with any political party or group while he sees Maryam run the party’s affairs and “in the meantime, stay relevant to the party by shaking hands with the other senior lot that rebelled against her,” Tahir adds.
The PML-N will assume a new face under Maryam. Nawaz Sharif is a man who commands respect in the party and listens to senior leaders on important matters. On the contrary, Maryam’s style of politics is aggressive and hardly seeks opinions from those not in her good books, he further added.
Experts agree that Maryam’s aggressive approach will weaken the party, and that she may be a crowd puller but not one to be entrusted with the reins of the party.
While talking to anchorperson Rana Mubashir, he said, “My leader is Nawaz Sharif.”
Abbasi has disapproved of PML-N’s chief organizer and senior vice president Maryam Nawaz’s strategy to fight fire with fire to counter Imran Khan for long. In fact, he had told Nawaz Sharif some years ago that that it would not be possible for him to continue with Maryam Nawaz if she was elevated to party’s top office.
Not allowing his words to elude him, and not starting any fire, he resigned from PML-N on February 1, three days after Maryam returned to Pakistan from a four month long sojourn in London. Not wanting to be an obstacle for Maryam, he said, Maryam Nawaz needs space after assuming her new role as the senior vice-president – “I’ve stepped down from my post but I stand by the party and will always be a part of it”.
Since his resignation earlier this month, Abbasi has engaged with the forum of Reimagining Pakistan, alongside senior politicians including Mustafa Nawaz Khokar and Miftah Ismail.
Abbasi’s statement is ominous. It throws a spotlight on cracks within the PML-N. Senior party leaders have voiced concerns regarding Maryam not taking them on board in making important decisions and her hawkish tactics in dealing with Imran, the establishment and the judiciary. Abbasi’s statement also reflects his hurt for being completely ignored by PML-N’s supremo Nawaz Sharif when he handed the reins of the party to Maryam Nawaz.
The former PM sees his “stature in the party equal to that of Shehbaz Sharif and working under Maryam is not acceptable to him at all. He takes it as his insult,” says journalist Zulqarnain Tahir.
Looks like Abbasi will play a political game of wait and watch. He may not align with any political party or group while he sees Maryam run the party’s affairs and “in the meantime, stay relevant to the party by shaking hands with the other senior lot that rebelled against her,” Tahir adds.
The PML-N will assume a new face under Maryam. Nawaz Sharif is a man who commands respect in the party and listens to senior leaders on important matters. On the contrary, Maryam’s style of politics is aggressive and hardly seeks opinions from those not in her good books, he further added.
Experts agree that Maryam’s aggressive approach will weaken the party, and that she may be a crowd puller but not one to be entrusted with the reins of the party.