LAHORE:
While Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has drawn comparisons between Pakistan’s chief adversary, terrorists and PTI – the country’s largest political party – the federal government has insisted that its offer for dialogue with the party remains on the table.
According to Minister of State Barrister Akeel Malik, the government’s priority was to steady the political ship, even as divergent voices within the PML-N continue to muddy the waters.
Though the PTI has seen its street muscle diminish over the last two years, its ability to rattle the PML-N government remains limited for now. However, a faction within the ruling party, seemingly led by Maryam Nawaz, appears unable to let go of the old playbook of PTI-bashing, showing a tin ear to voters’ psychology.
As recent past shows, political mudslinging is a double-edged sword. During his time in power as prime minister, Imran Khan made PML-N his punching bag in nearly every speech, but the relentless attacks often backfired, drawing flak even from his own base, who urged him to rise above political pettiness.
Maryam appears to have taken a page out of Imran Khan’s book, keeping her guns trained on the PTI. Even when the federal government appears to be making genuine efforts to lower the political temperature, PML-N leaders, including Maryam and Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, continue to fan the flames.
Recently, during an address to students, Maryam drew parallels between terrorists, India and PTI. The comment snowballed online, with many misinterpreting it as the CM branding PTI a greater threat than India or terrorism.
However, it is pertinent to note that Maryam has, in the past, reportedly referred to Imran Khan as more dangerous than both terrorism and the coronavirus.
On the other hand, the federal government has left the door ajar for dialogue despite PTI’s persistent refusal to step through it.
Speaking to The Express Tribune, Barrister Akeel clarified that the chief minister had spoken in a “specific context” during her speech.
However, he added that PTI had previously acted against the country’s interests more than once. “Which political party goes against its own country by writing to the IMF, asking it to withhold loans? And PTI has shown no remorse for what it has done,” he said.
“As far as the government is concerned, our doors are still open to PTI,” he added. “The committee formed to engage with PTI remains intact. All PTI has to do is express its desire in the National Assembly. However, they seemingly do not believe in political dialogue, nor do they appear interested in resolving anything.”
He denied any internal party rift on the issue of PTI.
When asked about the contradictory positions of the federal and provincial information ministries, where the federal minister praised PTI’s social media for promoting the country’s narrative while Punjab’s Azma Bukhari accused it of undermining national interests, Akeel defended both stances.
He explained that while the entire country had come together to fight disinformation on digital platforms, some PTI social media activists continued to circulate AI-generated images to troll political leaders.
Former spokesperson of the Nawaz family, Muhammad Zubair, speaking to The Express Tribune, described the Maryam Nawaz-led group as the party’s “hawks” in relation to PTI, while Shehbaz Sharif, true to his temperament, represented the reconciliatory faction.
He noted that the hawkish faction was deeply wary of PTI’s enduring support base and sought to decisively neutralise the party. “It’s a reality that, for Maryam Nawaz, Imran Khan is more of a threat than Modi,” he said. “Shehbaz, by contrast, is not a hardliner.”
Zubair suggested that Maryam Nawaz ought to realise that PTI, in its current form, was not as potent. “Why continue to call them out? If the country can reach a ceasefire with India, why not with a political rival?” he asked.
“If I were Maryam’s advisor, I would tell her to be indifferent toward PTI.”
