News Analysis |
A multi-party conference organized by the Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) on Sunday demanded the resignations of the Chief Minister of Punjab Shehbaz Sharif and Law Minister Rana Sanaullah for their alleged involvement in the Model Town massacre. Shehbaz and Sana should resign by January 7th, or else be ready for a protest, it added.
 It has also demanded that no  National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) should be offered to those who have looted the country.
If the party decides to offer the resignation of Shehbaz or Sana it will demonstrate its political weakness which will not let it to make any breakthrough in upcoming general elections.
The leaders of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) and Sheikh Rashid’s Awami Muslim League (AML) also decided that the provincial governments will pass resolutions for the resignations of those involved in the Model Town incident.
These demands of the multi-party meet have seriously pushed the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PLN-N) in troubled waters. The party is facing challenges at every step at the moment. If these challenges (mentioned below) are not taken seriously and decided in time, the party will have to pay a heavy price.
Read more: Qadri adds to Sharifs’ misery: The Model Town Case is back…
First, the PML-N is genuinely a one-family property where no one other than the Sharif family can even imagine to lead the party. There is a great challenge for the PML-N that if Shehbaz resigns (Nawaz has already gone) who will fill the gap?Â
The party should have developed its interaction with the public in a more serious and sustained manner but, on the contrary, the Nawaz-led Muslim League is looking towards Saudi Arabia.
Second, those involved in the Model Town massacre and the worst kind of state-sponsored terrorism should have been brought before the nation. But the ruling party failed to do so for its own political reasons. Now it has become a challenge to control a politically powerful Qadri who is welcoming other mainstream political parties as well. Now the question is that can the ruling party use force against any religious or political group after the failed Faizabad operation?
Third, change in the text of the Khatm-i-Nubuwat law has significantly damaged the repute of the ruling party. The party should have developed its interaction with the public in a more serious and sustained manner but, on the contrary, the Nawaz-led Muslim League is looking towards Saudi Arabia for managing a deal for them to handle the ongoing political challenges they face. Â
Read more:Â Tahir ul Qadri holds press conference after Model Town report decision
At the moment, PML-N is not left with many options to deal with the multi-party conference. But if the party decides to offer the resignation of Shehbaz or Sana it will demonstrate its political weakness which will not let it to make any breakthrough in upcoming general elections.