What’s Nawaz-Zardari conflict

What really is the conflict between the former president, Asif Ali Zardari, and former prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, which has now sharpened and seems unlikely to resolve before 2018 elections. In short, it’s a complete distrust in each other since 2008, even when they came close to each other and the PPP was blamed for being a friendly opposition, which in reality never existed.

Recently, both leaders levelled some serious allegations against each other, as to who was responsible for break-up of the understanding.

The PPP-PML-N relationship has always been a marriage of inconvenience, as they did come close to each other in 2006, when Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto had signed the Charter of Democracy.

Sharif still believes that had Benazir Bhutto been alive, their relationship might not have reached to this point. Historically, their relationship had always been based on distrust and mistrust and they used each other whenever they got a chance.

In CoD, they had admitted that “they were used” by the third party and in the process democratic system was derailed time and again.

In the post-Benazir era, the level of distrust reached new heights. First, in 2008, when former military dictator, General (retd) Pervez Musharraf wanted the late Makhdoom Amin Fahim to lead the PPP and become the prime minister. At one stage, even Asif Ali Zardari had proposed his name but immediately withdrew it.

Details gathered from those who had followed the events from 2008 to 2018, revealed that Mr Zardari had even sent a message to Musharraf for a possible patch-up after he got reports that the former military ruler was interested in the late Makhdoom Amin Fahim and did not like the PPP Co-chairman.

Fahim came under so much pressure from both quarters that he left the country and did not return till the crisis was over and Zardari got an upper hand.

In this backdrop, Zardari and Nawaz Sharif came close to each other and agreed on impeachment of Musharraf, but on the other hand, it also led to a breakthrough between Musharraf and Zardari.

The two had even agreed to restore all deposed judges minus former chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry. The move was opposed by some quarters on the ground that without restoring ex-CJP, the issue would not be resolved.

When he decided to become the president, he faced problems because of controversy over his Bachelor’s degree, which was later on resolved.

Mr Zardari, from day one, was never interested in restoring former CJ Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry. But, he signed an agreement with Sharif in a bid to oust Musharraf, in which he later succeeded, but not before a deal was struck under which the former dictator was given a safe exit.

On Musharraf's impeachment, sources said, the former military ruler had rejected the advice of his aides to face impeachment and assured him that it would be defeated. But, the former president preferred resignation as he had smelled some foul play against him in view of 2008 election results.

After Mr Zardari succeeded in getting Musharraf out, he also backed out of his commitment over restoration of deposed judges.

It was the beginning of the distrust between Zardari and Sharif. As a result, the PML-N withdrew its ministers from the coalition government and joined the ongoing campaign for judges’ restoration.

This led to confrontation, as Sharif announced a long march and the PPP government imposed Governor's Rule in Punjab, even against the advice of some intelligence agencies. The PPP government finally came under pressure when Sharif led the march in 2009, and judges including Mr Justice Chaudhry were restored. Governor's rule was also lifted.

After back-to-back setbacks, both the PPP and the PML then reached an understanding of live and let live, and agreed that no attempt would be made in future to disturb each other's government, which the then opposition leaders like Imran Khan termed 'friendly opposition’.

Since the distrust existed, Sharif in a bid to please the then establishment, became a party to Memogate, and got himself personally involved in it, and went to the Supreme Court, the move which he today regrets.

The PPP leadership later blamed that former PM Yusuf Raza Gilani became the victim of a conspiracy which led to his disqualification in a contempt of court for not writing the letter to Swiss authorities.

Since the court could not do much against Mr Zardari, because of presidential immunity, no further action was followed after Gilani's disqualification.

However, Mr Zardari as a president must be given the credit for making his own office powerless by handing over all his powers to the parliament. Sharif and the PML-N should have acknowledged this.

So, both PPP and the PML-N went into 2013 elections in an atmosphere of complete distrust. The PPP government, besides its poor performance in governance, faced threat from Taliban and believe they lost elections because of Returning Officers (ROs), an indication of their reservation toward former CJP.

In August, 2013, the federal government decided to launched operation against terrorists in Karachi, PPP led Sindh government and even MQM, supported the move. For almost two years, things went well and the PPP provided complete support as former chief minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah was made the captain of the operation by the then PM Nawaz Sharif.

Mr Zardari, in an interview with Geo’s senior anchor, Saleem Safi, cited examples of his closest aides Dr Asim Hussain's case and involvement of NAB during the operation as one of the key reason. Sharif, in his response, denied that he or his government had anything to do with Dr Asim's arrest or NAB involvement.

Decision to launch the operation was taken after an intelligence report was submitted about the possibility of a civil war, as huge consignment of arms and ammunition had arrived. It also reported about the abduction and killings of people on ethnic lines. MQM was the first party which demanded army operation.

it was also decided that two apex committees would monitor the operation, one led by the PM and the army chief while the other led by chief minister and would be assisted by corp. commander, DG, rangers and others.

In 2015, the apex committee was informed by the rangers about the funding to militancy coming from some government sources, and fisheries were particularly mentioned beside some other government departments. It was at this point when NAB and FIA also got involved and raids were conducted at KDA building and took some 16,000 files. It was also for the first time 'china cutting' of plots was highlighted.

They also wanted to arrest Manzoor Kaka, head of the department who escaped days earlier, He allegedly had links with PPP leadership. It was followed by raids at the offices of Fisheries Cooperative Society and arrest of some of its officials.

For the first time, the PPP and Sindh government reacted and accused PML (N) government and Federal Interior Ministry for using FIA and NAB, but, when rangers gave briefing to the apex, that because of reports of money laundering and funding to militants coming from government sources, the FIA and NAB got involved former CM Qaim Ali Shah despite reservation did not raised much hue and cry.

In one of the meetings of the central apex committee, in the presence of PM, ex-President, former army chief, Sindh government was practically charge-sheeted. Later, the former Corp Commander Karachi, in one of the seminar, also raised issues, which caused serious embarrassment to the PPP and the Sindh government.

An source revealed that after the 'apex' meeting, Mr Zardari warned Sharif of consequences if it is not stopped and he also warned Sharif, that the PML government could also be in trouble.

After Dr Asim's arrest, the PML-N leader sent Mir Hasil Bizenjo to Mr Zardari with a message that he has nothing to do with Dr Asim arrest.

But, when Nawaz expressed displeasure over Zardari's most controversial statement in 2015, after which he left the country for almost 17 months, the former President and his aides thought that Mr Sharif, Chaudhry Nisar and the establishment had joined hands against him.

A reliable source disclosed that during General Raheel Sharif's tenure, a strong message was communicated to all after the PPP and the MQM raised objections that the operation would not be rolled back. The PPP and Mr Zardari then stopped creating problems in extending the powers of the rangers.

In 2016, rangers were also given powers in Punjab and in the process, NAB and FIA also got active. In the aftermath of Panama leaks, and July 28 verdict, NAB and rangers became active and now the PML-N and Nawaz Sharif are feeling the heat.

The writer is a senior columnist and analyst of Geo, The News and Jang.

Twitter: @MazharAbbasGEO