The former Prime Minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz decided to return home and to face jail after he was convicted by a National Accountability Port on 06 July 2018 on corruption charges. By returning home to challenge the Court verdict that sent Farther-Daughter duo to Jail in a corruption Case, the former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his daughter have gained a moral high ground just before July 25 General Elections. The move will have a considerable impact on the Pakistan Elections since Sharif has tried to establish that he is not an absconder even though he could justifiably stay back in London by side of his critically ill wife Kulsum Nawaz. The fact that he and his daughter instead do Jail time in Pakistan may help her party and evoke a sympathy wave for them and strengthen their party PMLN (Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz), which pollsters have projected as the single Largest party but short of majority and only marginally ahead of Imran Khan’s PTI (Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf. Though in the short run the decision will empower Nawaz’s brother and President Shahbaz Sharif who is leading the party. It also ensured that Sharif and his daughter remain relevant in Pakistan’s politics and secure their political future in a country which is unforgiving towards its exiled leaders. The Sharifs will most likely get a bail from a Higher Court and return to their constituents and claiming a victory against the Pakistan’s Powerful Security Establishment which Nawaz Sharif has openly lashing out at. But establishment agencies and Judiciary are all against the bail at this point of time.
In Pakistan where army’s blessings are very important for any political party to survive, Sharif will project himself as a crusader for democracy and an independent leader who was persecuted for defying the Armies Line from the last couple of years. As of now, establishment agencies and most of the media houses have put their weight behind the so called poster boy Imran Khan and his party PTI. They are making every effort for his victory in the General Elections.
Pakistan establishment agencies are against the former PM Nawaz Sharif and his party PMLN and invested a lot to keep his party out of power in the July 25 General Elections. What is happening in Pakistan is the manifestation of an intense battle between the civilian political leadership and the military – Intelligence Establishment. Pakistan’s military which has ruled the country over 33 years in its seven decades existence, sees Nawaz Sharif and His Party PMLN as a chief threat to its chokehold over Pakistan’s security and foreign policy. The Generals in Rawalpindi’s GHQ are deeply suspicious of Nawaz Sharif because they saw, in the former PM’s attempt to establish primacy of the civilian leadership, a mortal threat to their hold over levers of perpetual power. This suspicion was deepened by Nawaz Sharif’s repeated attempts as a three time PM to bring some sought of stability in the India-Pakistan relationship, because good India-Pakistan relationship reduces Pakistan’s powerful armies importance. Therefore the battle against the Nawaz Sharif was taken to its logical conclusions by the Establishment Agencies by coopting the judiciary and National Accountability Bureau (NAB) so that the silent coup gets Judicial Sanction and now Army and Establishment Agencies are doing everything within its Power to neutralize the threat posted by Nawaz Sharif and his still popular political Party PMLN in Pakistan.
Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz have played a master stroke by returning Pakistan and do Jail in Pakistan during the General Elections which has surely worried the PAK Establishment Agencies. How much Nawaz Sharif’s younger brother and the former Chief Minister of Pakistan’s largest province Punjab Shahbaz Sharif and other prominent leaders of PMLN will garner sympathy wave from voters and capitalize it during the last phase of Election. Only time will tell.