Secret behind Sharifs’ success

ISLAMABAD: The PML-N landslide in the first phase of Local Bodies elections in the Punjab has almost stunned the main opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) whose Lahore organizer Shafqat Mahmood gracefully accepted the responsibility and stepped down.
But, what led to this thumping victory besides the advantage of being the ruling party?It’s a matter of history as to how Sharifs stepped into politics but the fact remains that for the outsiders the “Sharif brothers” have also changed the trends of politics. They should be thankful to Imran Khan, who gave them a “wake-up” call in 2013. He has created a dent in Sharifs’ popular base — middle class — besides creating a new power base i.e. youth and women.
But in the last few years, Sharifs have also made inroads into the lower middle class. Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif are often criticized for Motorway and Metro Bus like projects.
Earlier, they were also criticized for the “Yellow Cab” schemes. There could be an element of truth in the alleged corruption and commission in these projects, but whether these projected provided relief to the people or not needs to be looked into.
There can be two opinions about the misuse of “yellow cab,” but the fact remains it did help the jobless youth and gave a new culture where educated people proudly used it as a means to respectable earning.However, such schemes like the PPP’s Benazir Income Support Programme need to be used for the welfare of the people and not corruption.
Now if thousands of people, particularly the labor class and job going people, travel in comfort every day, would they criticize these projects or develop a soft corner for them? Good transport, road network and projects which are more vulnerable do create impact on the voters.
Sharifs do have many flaws in their politics and may also have an authoritarian style. Like any other ruler they also like people to praise them in “Sharif Darbar” like we had

witnessed in his press conference in the US. But, in the last three decades every major city could have made progress like Lahore.
Another reason for his success in the local bodies could be PML-N’s grassroots organisational network and different tier of its work.
The international situation also favored his government to control inflation, check petrol price and hold LB polls in winter, so that load shedding pressure could be avoided.
Political factors also helped his government and after the Judicial Commission report, there was a general consensus that elections will now be held in 2018.
Improvement in civil-military relationship, law and order and operation against terrorists also helped his government in regaining the confidence of people.
Thus, the people in general were at ease after “dharna politics” and disappointed with Imran Khan’s approach towards politics.
Sharif and the PML-N have also made inroads in the constituency of PTI, Jamaat-e-Islami and even the PPP in Punjab both due to work and other’s weaknesses.
Now, here people may ask, “why PPP won in Sindh despite its poor governance?” Valid question, but to trace the answer they have to look at those who were opposing it in Sindh.
The opposition in Interior Sindh is not only divided, but also tested with serious allegations of corruption during their tenure as well. Therefore, in the absence of a strong opposition and clean leadership, the PPP would remain unchangeable. The sad part is that the PPP had not even done 10 per cent of what Sharifs did for the Punjab.
Development factor and positive economic indicators may not be the only reason behind Sharif’s success. Over the years, Nawaz Sharif also brought change maturity in his politics.
From being part of every conspiracy to dislodge his political opponents like late Benazir Bhutto, he signed the Charter of Democracy (CoD) with Benazir Bhutto in 2006 and honoured it until former President Asif Ali Zardari backed out of his commitment.
Sharifs did a major blunder by signing a deal with former President Pervez Musharraf to be exiled to Saudi Arabia and not to take part in politics for 10 years.
Thus, one can clearly differentiate between the approach of a businessman and industrialist with feudals in Sindh.
But, the success in LB polls is not guarantee for victory in the next general elections unless they use the LB platform for massive development, jobs opening and work in the field of education.
Secondly, if he succeeds in overcoming load shedding by 2017 and makes no major political blunder, there is no way he can be strongly challenged.
These results are also a wake-up call for the opposition, particularly the PTI. In the next two years, Imran Khan has to come out with a more specific program. Mere slogan of “change in status quo” or Tabdeeli or rigging may not work.
Why former mayors, Mustafa Kamal of MQM and Naimatullah advocate were praised because of flyovers, underpasses, parks etc? These were not big projects but they brought relief to people.
Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto did not become popular because of his slogan of “Roti, Kapra aur Makan,” but he reached to the common man and when given power established heavy industries like the Pakistan Steel.
He also created jobs and reduced passport fee to ensure that people could get visas to go to Middle East for job and raise their living standard.
It is true that the government in power is in an advantageous position, but not always. Even, if you analyze these LB polls, you will find that a very large number of independents are followed by the PTI and PPP. If combined the opposition and independents are quite close to the ruling party.
The opposition had an upper hand in 1979, 1983 and also in 1987. The PPP-backed Awam Dost candidates had surprised the military regime when they got majority in many cities and a large number of them got elected. In Karachi, it almost got its mayor elected if two of its councilors had not been kidnapped. Still it got deputy mayor.
Time is on Sharifs side at the moment and it all depends on how well he plays his cards in the half of his tenure.Similarly, the PTI is down at the moment but not out and can still recover from the LBs “aftershocks”.
For the PPP, these polls gave it another chance to improve with 100 seats in the Punjab and over 800 in Sindh.There is not alternative to change the life of the common man and those who know the power of the vote.The writer is senior columnist and analysts of Geo, The News and Jang.