Daily Times

Some pictures are truly worth a thousand words. Especially the one not too long ago showing the prime minister meeting the four chief ministers – the Sharifs on individual big sofas and the other three tightly huddled together on one. Not that the seating arrangement has any influence on the political state of affairs, but it does speak volumes about the kind of proximity Shahbaz Sharif has with the prime minister as compared to the other three CMs. Also, far more seriously, this was definitely deliberate. That means they did it calculatingly, and wanted everybody to see, clearly, the difference, and distance, between ‘us’ and ‘them’.

One expected Pervez Khattak to take some offence, at least. This was, after all, very undemocratic of the Sharifs. And however much anyone might disagree with, or even dislike the PTI, they’re still perhaps the most democratic of the top three parties. And, unfortunately, that is not because the PTI boasts any extraordinary democratic credentials. It’s just that the others – hereditary power structures, quite simply – are much, much worse.

Yet hardly a peep came out of Khattak. And the only part of the media where the photo was paraded with some shame was the social sphere; and we’re still a while away from the time when social media trends will dictate mainstream news from time to time. So the ‘body language’ of the picture, and all it implied, was also, like much else, rubbished to the dustbin of history forever.

Still, the picture did provide an instructive, and timely, peek into the Sharif mind-frame. Instructive because it shows for all willing to see, once again, how the ruling party’s elite functions. Everybody knows that Nawaz Sharif’s most crucial decisions are debated, at the most, among a tightly knit kitchen cabinet. And, of course, not all ministers are part of it. Sometimes the commerce minister has very little to do with matters of trade, and at other times the power minister is completely in the dark about mega power plants and energy deals the government decides to go ahead with. Almost all matters are decided between the family, with a few longtime loyalists tagging along.

And timely because the ’18 election is not too far away. With the PTI chasing Panama to the end and Zardari returning to breathe more life into the PPP, it is all about the campaign from here. Nawaz, just like Zardari before him, has continuously played the ‘saving democracy primacy’ card. Back then the PPP was important because of the transition to democracy. Later – and this became very pronounced in the ’14 dharna days – the PML-N became the prime ‘defender of democracy’ and all that it implied. Yet, for all its supposed sacrifices to keep democracy going, the PPP faced considerable humiliation at the last poll. And, partly because of social media and how it lets out the elite’s excesses now and then, there’s a good chance the PML-N might have a hard time selling its commitment to the democratic process on this campaign trail.

Also, this attitude is hardly limited to photo ops or meetings with CMs. The ruling party seems equally unafraid of betraying a clear bias in favour of its home province Punjab. This has been a recurrent issue but it has once again been ignited by the CPEC euphoria. This ‘game changer’, ‘goldmine’, too, has started suffering from typical PML-N problems.

For one thing, much about the corridor is still shrouded in secrecy. The reason is the same. Once again the ruling family is keeping all cards close to its chest. That, in large part, also accounts for the political uncertainty that continues to dog the project. For another, clearly Punjab is being given the lion’s share from the spillover. Balochistan and KPK are, as always, most neglected. That is unfair, to say the least, since Balochistan’s Gwadar is in so many ways the lynchpin of this project. Yet there’s no budging in the N-league anytime soon.

For those with slightly long memory, the PPP clique was fond of similar chest thumping, which did not come too long after Musharraf’s fist waving. Neither has retained the prominence of those years. The Sharifs, too, are guilty of allowing that same brand of vanity to take over them. It’s not just the people they distance themselves from. It’s also the political class, often including crucial pillars of the party. It is little surprise to hear news stories of the most senior PML-N ministers not even being on talking terms with each other.

Mian sb is advised, sincerely, to abandon the narcissism that has so grown on him – for himself, his party, and the people; especially as the election draws nearer.

The writer is the Resident Editor, Daily Times, Lahore and can be reached at yourafiq@gmail.com