Senior PML-N leader Khwaja Saad Rafique, alongwith his brother Salman Rafique, had a three hour long meeting with Speaker Punjab Assembly Chaudhry Perviaz Elahi at his residence the other day and discussed political situation. The meeting may have been held with the tacit approval PML-N Quid and former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who in the past had never concealed his dislike against PML-Q leadership for their support of General Musharraf and forming government under his umbrella. But from the past few months, senior leaders of main opposition party have adopted a conciliatory attitude towards Chaudhries of Gujrat. They are lambasting PTI leaders, who have been named in the FIA inquiry report on sugar scam, but not uttering a single word against Chaudhry Monis Elahi, whose name has also surfaced in the report on sugar crisis. In a related development, JUI (F) Central Amir Maulana Fazlu Rehman has held talks with PPP cochairman Asif Zardari
PML-Q is a coalition partner of PTI in the center and Punjab province but difference between them have come to light several times. Few months ago, Federal Minister for Housing Tariq Bashir Cheema had skipped cabinet meeting without prior notice. He had not told the reason of staying away from cabinet meeting. But PML-Q Information Secretary Kamil Ali Agha, while talking to a private TV Channel, had not mince words to explain the reasons of his party leadership complaints against the chief executive of the country. He said that the Prime Minister had not accepted some genuine legal and constitutional demands of his party. In this context he had referred to the meetings of Chaudhry Monis Elahi meetings with the Prime Minister. The gentleman was aspiring to be inducted in the federal cabinet Moreover, PML-Q top leadership wanted to get more shares in the provincial cabinet of Punjab. The differences were then ironed out through negotiation that took place between the negotiation teams of coalition partners.
From the very outset skepticism has been expressed about the power sharing partnership between PTI and PML-Q to remain intact, keeping in view the well-entrenched culture of making and breaking alliances and coalitions purely for personal political and monetary gains. Horse trading and floor crossing, formation of forward blocks had formed a sad chapter of Pakistan’s political history. The elected government that came to power after the partly-less polls in 1985 introduced the lust for parliamentarians’ development funds which haunts every elected government. The lawmakers are always keener to put pressure on governments for the rerelease of these funds which are grossly misappropriated. PTI does not have even simple majority in the lower house of the parliament and always vulnerable to the pressure tactics of its allied parties. PML-N leaders meeting with Speaker Punjab may be continuation of the same tactics at a time when the country is confronted with the threat of spreading coronavirus pandemic. The self-serving attitude of political elite has eroded the trust of the people in parliamentary democracy.
The PML-Q leadership has always preferred to tacitly sail simultaneously in two boats. While in government during 2002-7, they remained in touch with Nawaz Sharif in exile in Saudi Arabia, betraying their benefactor General Musharraf. They may be still in contact with the former disqualified Prime Minister.
