The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has never been an ideology driven party. Instead, it’s principles have been moulded by security, religious, cultural and social compulsions. However, this seems to be changing since the 2008 national elections. One can see the PML-N trying to formulate a coherent ideology to meet it’s external needs. People close to Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam have influenced them to be more open to liberal democratic principles and at the same time accommodate minorities and their sensitivities. However the PML-N believes coining such themes has never been their forte.
Historically, this political turf has belonged to the PPP, ANP and MQM. These parties have been active on these themes so that they can make a good impression abroad in liberal democratic states. Not to mention, these parties have always had a liberal inclination. It seems that the PML-N now believes they need western nations to have a positive view about them, since they used to be known as a conservative right wing party. Western states have influenced Pakistani politics in many ways.
Nawaz Sharif, who wanted Shariah in Pakistan back in the 1990’s, now talks of a liberal democratic Pakistan. It’s important to understand what changed his mind on what kind of country Pakistan should be. The man who wanted to be above parliament now believes in parliament’s supremacy above all state institutions. It’s possible that being in exile gave him time to pause and consider what kind of future will be best for him and Pakistan. His current pro liberal democracy stance was unprecedented in the 1990’s. This kind of stance is even more unlikely from a person who leads Punjab’s conservative political base. Despite facing criticism from ultra right wing circles like Jamaat-e-Islami, he survived any public backlash because of progressive voices in the media and his own party.
While he was ousted from office as Prime Minster in the Panama papers case, he and his daughter are back in the public domain, fighting for legitimacy. Now all ideological warfare is over and survival mode is on. They have to fight on many fronts, including within the party and family. They also have to fight for their voter base, which is dwindling as new religious parties are grabbing the right wing conservative vote which formerly belonged to the PML-N. Mumtaz Qadri, who was hanged during his tenure as Prime minster has influenced the PML-N conservative vote bank but since the party is currently in power they probably haven’t felt the full political impact yet. However, the influence of the deceased Qadri will have in gaining the right wing Sunni Barelvi base should not be underestimated.
PML-N must come up with a clear headed approach as far as its ideological politics is concerned. Although Nawaz Sharif recently said that he was never ideological until recently, this statement needs to translate into reality
The Tehreek-e-Labaik Ya Rasool Allah (TLYR) party which is currently staging protests in Islamabad; is using the Qadri factor to grab support from Barelvi segments of society. They have managed to grab enough votes in NA-4 Peshawar and NA-120 Lahore to give themselves momentum for the next general elections.
Nawaz Sharif’s son in law Captain (retd) Muhammad Safdar, who is known as ideologically motivated for right wing conservative Barelvi faction has been openly supporting Qadri and his actions in parliament and outside parliament.
While also knowing his father in law and wife hold the opposite view. His move was meant to regain the PML-N’s lost right wing base, but it was something the party did not own as a sanctioned statement. However the party’s response remained ambiguous enough to confuse many who believed the party now held progressive views. Safdar also criticised Nawaz’s decision to rename Quaid-e-Azam University Physics department in honour of Nobel Laureate Abdul Salam who belonged to the Ahmedia community. Safdar had to face significant criticism from the civil society and others within the party. Even his wife distanced herself from Safdar’s statement which was clearly a tactical move otherwise it seems the party needs such statements and rhetoric to regain lost right wing conservative votes.
While contesting the NA 120 elections for her mother, Maryam met leaders from different religions and sects to grab votes. PML N is not taking any ideological position but is working to make it’s perspective clear on issues which could help the party make it’s credentials progressive globally. But they also understand back peddling may be tough to justify in front of domestic audience.
This is why Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal spoke at the parliament floor, saying it’s not justified to call someone a heretic or to give decrees for someone’s murder. Such statements need to be made with a bigger voice from the party and parliament so that no one is able enough break law and this will make state’s ideology clear to those elements which have been violating laws.
PML-N must come up with a clear headed approach as far as its ideological politics is concerned. Although Nawaz Sharif recently said that he was never ideological until now, that needs to translate into reality. Being the largest party in parliament, the PML-N needs to make its position clear.
Being in parliament is not the ultimate goal but educating masses on ideological issues is also one of the jobs of parliamentary parties. Mainstream democrats need to educate masses and also need to have clear political ideologies. Pakistan is now seventy years old and the time has come for the political leadership to engage in politics on issues which have clear ideological shades. The PML-N must stop twisting and turning and make a clear choice on the ideological front.
The writer is Strategic and Political analyst. He teaches international politics in NUML Islamabad
Published in Daily Times, November 16th 2017.