Not many days back Madam Maryam Nawaz Sharif had chosen Twitter to exuberantly announce that no one else had better qualifications or better opportunity to succeed Mian Nawaz Sharif as Prime Minister of Pakistan.
This had pushed many analysts into an exercise to find logical or credible or rational reasons behind this announcement.
Even in a monarchy, when the king is seriously ill, and there are more than one pretenders to the throne, this kind of haste in announcing one’s candidacy is not viewed with admiration.
Pakistan is in ‘letter’, a democracy. In ‘spirit’ it may be a ‘monarchy’. Yet the energetic way Mian Sahib is conducting his ‘election campaign’ hardly gives any negative impression about his health. Every one wishes him to live long. And long. His loved and dear ones should be wishing more fervently. Why then this sudden ‘candidature announcement’ on the part of his beloved and loving daughter? Does it mean then that the king has plans to abdicate? Or that Mian Shaib has not ruled out the possibility of his disqualification in the Panama case?
The question here is ‘how should Uncle Shahbaz Sharif be taking this announcement?’
Mian Shahbaz Sharif may have an equal number of critics, opponents or ill-wishers, but there is a consensus that ‘while Mian Nawaz Sharif is a mere talker—at best a planner —- Mian Shahbaz Sharif is a ‘doer’— a performer. The city of Lahore is a living proof of Mian Shahbaz Sharif’s ability to act fast and translate an idea into a reality.
I remember a talk I had with General Pervez Musharraf on January. 17, 1999 when he was still a mere COAS. The subject was the performance of Mian Sahib’s government. I was vocally critical. General Pervez Musharraf was evasively cautious. But he couldn’t help coming out with an interesting remark.
“What about the Younger one? Isn’t he march more intelligent and much less inefficient?”
It was a remark about Mian Shahbaz Sharif.
I also remember a similar talk with Dr. A.Q Khan who too came out with a similar statement: “Shahbaz goes about his job seriously. You may have many critical ideas about Lahore Metro, but the fact is it is there in record time. He is quite the opposite of his elder brother when it comes to efficiency.”
There is not one convincing reason why MNS shouldn’t think of his loyal and efficient brother as a potential successor. Except that MARYAM is his DAUGHTER. Monarchic Rule?
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